Top Grocery Items Hit by Tariffs

Yahoo

09-04-2025

Some grocery items are hit more than others by tariff wars.
NPR published a list of the top 10 grocery items that are affected by tariffs.
Phil Lempert, an industry analyst, told NPR that "probably almost half of the products in a supermarket — about 40,000 products — will be affected by these tariffs, whether it's the entire product or just an ingredient."
However, the publication singled out some food and drink items that are particularly affected because a lot of them are imported from other countries.
For example, NPR cited seafood. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "To meet rising consumer demand, the United States increasingly relies on global suppliers to supplement domestic production. About 80 percent of estimated U.S. consumption of seafood comes from abroad—primarily from Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam."
A lot of the coffee in the United States also comes from other countries.
"The United States is the world's second leading importer of coffee (both Arabica and Robusta varieties). In 2023, about 80 percent of U.S. unroasted coffee imports came from Latin America (valued at $4.8 billion), principally from Brazil (35 percent) and Colombia (27 percent)," the Department of Agriculture wrote.
NPR also noted that fruit such as bananas, papayas, and melons comes from South American countries.
It's not only food items. Alcohol will be affected also, with a large portion of beer and wine being produced elsewhere, according to NPR.
Lempert told NPR that he believes imported alcohol items will "be clobbered" by tariffs. Rice, cheese, and nuts were also among the items cited by NPR.