How tariffs could mess with your pumpkin spice

"Like a crisp breeze and a color-changing leaf, pumpkin spice is the harbinger of fall. And it's here - unavoidably so. As in, you can't turn your head in a grocery store without seeing some kind of pumpkin-spice-flavored food: cookies, pancake mix, oatmeal, coffee creamer, granola bars, donuts, muffins, hummus, cereal, ice cream ... you get the picture. Pumpkin spice is traditionally a blend of five spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice - and they're all sourced primarily outside the U.S."

"The American Spice Trade Association says many spices require tropical conditions, which means they can't be cultivated domestically. That includes staple spices like cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. There is a 10% baseline tariff on all countries, with higher tariffs for certain countries. A major source for global spices is India, which faces a 50% tariff; a variety of spices originate there including red chilli, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, curry, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, ginger and mustard seeds, among others."

Pumpkin spice combines cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice and appears widely in grocery products each fall. Most of those spices are grown primarily outside the U.S. and require tropical conditions that cannot be replicated domestically. U.S. tariffs include a 10% baseline and much higher rates for certain countries; India faces a 50% tariff and supplies many spices. Tariffs will raise import costs, forcing producers to absorb expenses or pass them to consumers, potentially reducing premium spice options, altering flavor profiles, shifting sourcing to lower-tariff countries, or increasing use of artificial flavors. McCormick estimates about $90 million annual tariff exposure.

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