As of Tuesday, March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump’s tariff plan went into effect, sparking a trade war between Canada, Mexico, and China. Tariffs are a tax on goods that are being imported. These taxes are being paid to the government by the importing countries, causing the prices of these goods to increase. Trump’s justification for these tariffs is to pressure countries to attempt to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border and to make the countries crack down on stopping fentanyl from coming into the US. However, due to Trump’s 25% tariffs, many of the goods we get from Mexico, Canada, and China have drastically increased prices. Mexico is America’s largest trading partner, with Canada coming in second and China a close third. Americans will see common products that they purchase at a high rate, which these tariffs will directly affect.

Avocados:

One product in particular that we get from Mexico and that will be largely impacted is none other than avocados. Mexican avocados are highly popular in the United States. On average, most people consume around nine pounds of Mexican avocados per year, and nationally, over three billion avocados are consumed. With this increase in tariffs (and therefore an increase in price), this rate will not only dramatically drop and hurt farmers in Mexico but also impact restaurants that serve Mexican food. About 10% of all restaurants in the United States sell a dish with avocado in it. As avocado is a large staple in Mexican culture, this could lead to a decrease in Mexican restaurants around the United States because of the increased cost to make a dish. As a guacamole enthusiast and daily avocado consumer, the increase in price forces me to move on from guacamole.

Produce:

Not only have these tariffs taken away guacamole from us, but they have also impacted other Mexican fruits and vegetables. The United States imports more than $45B agricultural products from Mexico annually, such as tomatoes, another widely sought product in the US. With these tariffs, we can expect to see a large increase in the prices of fruits and vegetables in our grocery stores.

Electronics:

Besides food, these tariffs have also impacted the electronics industry in China. As China is responsible for a large amount of our electronics and electronic parts, prices of- already expensive- smartphones, computers, and other electronics are thought to increase. There is an expected 11% increase in the cost of these products. 

Electricity:

Regarding Canada, our electricity is also being affected by the tax on Canadian goods. According to the Energy Council of Canada, “The U.S. accounts for 91% of energy exports by value ($139.8 billion).” Due to the tariffs, Canada has threatened to cut off electricity to the United States. States such as New York, Michigan, and Minnesota would be impacted drastically.

To conclude, these tariffs would significantly hurt United States citizens. They would raise the prices of goods that people need to survive. It also is leading to a trade war, which could end with some of our allies distancing themselves from us.