SEATTLE – Economists project the newly implemented tariffs will have a significant financial impact on Washington State, projecting a $5.5 billion toll on the state’s economy. This figure is over a billion dollars higher than previous forecasts, but will shoppers feel the impact during their next trip to the grocery store?

What they’re saying:

For Washington shoppers, some food items are likely to become more expensive. According to Dan Anthony, President of the Trade Partnership Worldwide, citrus fruits like lemons, limes as well as avocados, and tomatoes from Mexico are expected to cost more.

“It’s early March, and not a lot of fresh fruits are available in the United States at this point,” Anthony explained. “Something like perishables, citrus, tomatoes avocado there’s not that option of stockpiling that much up front because those products will go bad.”

Anthony predicts while some food prices will inevitably climb, the rise in prices won’t be uniform across all goods. He notes that suppliers might choose to absorb some of the costs or offset them by raising the prices of other imported items, such as bananas.

“So it won’t always be this crystal clear 25% increase across the board,” said Anthony. 

Local perspective:

The tariffs won’t just impact the grocery store; consumer products like toys, electronics, and clothing are also expected to see price hikes. Washington state alone could face over $1 billion in additional costs due to tariffs on imports from China, particularly on toys, which arrive in bulk from overseas.

Anthony noted that January imports surged to record levels as companies rushed to stockpile products before the tariffs hit.

“It seems like companies were trying to bring in as much product as possible to front-run these tariffs,” he said.

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