Trump stated that American farmers are being "absolutely decimated" due to high imports and promised to limit these imports in his future policies. However, experts suggest that such tariffs might actually increase food prices instead of lowering them, contradicting the intended goal.
Food economists argue that reducing imports through tariffs could raise grocery prices. Glauber from the International Food Policy Research Institute stated, "Using tariffs to decrease food prices makes no sense," as imports help keep prices low.
David Ortega from Michigan State University warned that while restricting imports might seem beneficial, it could lead to retaliation from other countries and ultimately hurt American farmers, highlighting the complexity of the food price issue.
Ortega added that food price changes are influenced by a myriad of factors, with recent grocery price increases being attributed mainly to supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as geopolitical and environmental factors.
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