Should Texans really worry about tariffs? We took a closer look, and it's not good.

Yahoo

14-04-2025

If President Trump proceeds with his proposed tariffs on imports, potentially making those products more expensive for U.S. consumers, can we stick with American-made brands to avoid price hikes?
You may be surprised by how many of the things you use every day came from abroad, including many familiar American brands.
Here's a look at an average North Texan family's day, and which items may become much more costly.
One of the first things we do each morning is brush our teeth. Crest and Colgate are toothpaste brands that manufacture products in Mexico and Canada. Toothbrushes are imported from China and Switzerland. That Oral B electric toothbrush? Germany.
Some of us can't live without morning coffee. Bad news: Most coffee beans are produced in Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. And most coffee makers are made in China and Indonesia.
Even the drinking water you pour into your China-made Keurig — or fill up your China-made Stanley tumbler — might be dependent on imports: Inside many water filters is carbon made from coconut shells, which come from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and other tropical southeast Asia countries. Your Brita filters are made in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Time for breakfast!
The U.S. imports tons of fruits, including berries, tomatoes and avocados, from Mexico, and bananas from the tropics. To the chagrin of many parents, sugar is a big ingredient in many breakfast cereals — about a third of our nation's sugar is imported from 70 countries.
For the pancake lovers out there, maple syrup is imported from Canada, and the U.S. imports butter from Ireland and New Zealand. Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast, made up of oats imported from Canada and cinnamon imported from Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Love those blueberry BelVita breakfast biscuits or snack bars? Made in Mexico.
It may come as no surprise that most of the clothes we wear are made abroad. Did you know that 97% of clothing sold in the U.S. is imported from Asian countries, such as China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam?
From your head to your feet, you're wearing imports — literally. Your official Texas Rangers cap came on a boat from China or Vietnam (the company that makes MLB merch only makes apparel worn by teams in the U.S., as the league requires). And your favorite pair of Tecovas or Stetson boots are made in Mexico, and Ariat sources materials around the world.
Here's a pop quiz for the kids heading to school: How many items in your backpacks are 'Made in America'? (Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
Answer: Probably nothing.
China is the primary exporter of pencils and crayons to the United States. For paper notebooks, China and Vietnam are top exporters. Children's lunchboxes are made in China. And backpacks? You guessed it: China, Vietnam or India.
President Trump on Friday exempted smartphones, computers and other electronics from some of the tariffs. So we probably won't see iPhones, which are manufactured in China, skyrocket in price immediately. But Samsung Galaxy phones are made in India and Vietnam.
What about youth sports equipment? China, once again, is the top exporter to the U.S. Whether it's basketballs, baseball gloves or soccer balls, it likely came across the Pacific.
Take a look around your car, as you sit in Metroplex traffic.
If you have navigation, many GPS modules are produced in China, while essential components like chipsets and sensors are primarily manufactured in Taiwan and South Korea.
Keyless vehicle systems often involve high-tech electronics sourced from Japan and South Korea, while more traditional components (like the actual locks) sometimes come from engineering hubs in Europe, with Germany being a prime example.
The gasoline in your tank likely came from domestic crude, including Texas wells. But (and there's a lot of 'buts' in this story), some ingredients have international roots. Crude oil blend is used by U.S. refineries to mix in some oil imported from places like Canada, Mexico and parts of the Middle East (think Saudi Arabia), with a few drops coming from West African suppliers. Other additives that boost performance often come from Europe.
How about your tires? Goodyear has plants in nearly two dozen countries, including the U.S. Michelin also has a global operation. In a 2015 study, Consumer Reports noted that it tested tires from Pirelli — a company with Italian roots — that were made in Mexico and Russia. Mexico, in fact, was the third-largest manufacturer of the tires tested. .
If you're looking for a Big Mac, you may be in luck. Most fast-food products in America are sourced domestically, but some ingredients, like produce, beef and wheat, are sourced from Mexico and Canada.
A chicken or turkey sandwich is American, right? We are, after all, the world's biggest poultry producer. But, those chicken growers import parts for their farm machinery and potash to add to poultry feed. Canada is the biggest exporter of potash, also used in fertilizers, followed by Russia.
Cheese can come from North America — or Italy, France, Spain, the Netherlands or Switzerland. Most ham and pork products are imported from Canada. And tuna fish comes from Southeast Asia.
If you stop in for Happy Hour before heading home, your cocktail of choice may come with a twist of tariffs.
Imported wine and spirits account for nearly 35% of the entire U.S. beverage alcohol market by volume.
Aside from Texan-made Tito's, many brands of vodka come from Sweden, France and Poland. Most whisky comes from Scotland. And Americans drink $7.5 billion in imported beer last year, the vast majority from Mexico (and don't forget the aluminum in the cans).
There's no rest for the weary.
Laundry: There's a good chance your washing machine or its parts were made abroad. In 2024, the U.S. imported $2.3 billion in washers, mainly from China, Mexico, Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam.
Dishwashers: Most are manufactured in the U.S. (Bosch, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, GE). However, Samsung manufactures some in South Korea and China. LG also operates some in South Korea.
Lawn mowers: Many brands have production facilities in China, including some parts for brands like Snapper. Brands like Makita are known to produce mowers in China. EGO and Kobalt are made by the same Chinese company, Chervon. Honda and Kubota are Japanese manufacturers.
Tending the garden: Canada supplies nearly 10% of the U.S. nitrogen fertilizer needs, accounting for 25% of nitrogen fertilizer imports. Canada also supplies nearly 20% of sulfur consumed by U.S. farmers and others. The U.S. is highly dependent on Canadian potash, and tariffs could significantly impact the price and availability of fertilizers.
Feeding the birds: Nyjer seed, also known as thistle seed, is a must for attracting colorful finches. It is primarily grown in Africa and Asia, with the majority coming from Ethiopia and India.
Perhaps you're more of an All-American burgers and apple pie kind of cook, but your kitchen is truly international.
Cuisinart pots and pans are manufactured in China and France, while Le Creuset is also made in France. (Another popular brand, All-Clad is U.S. made.) Cutlery comes from all over, but leading exporters are China, Germany, Poland and Mexico.
Microwave brands Panasonic and Toshiba have factories in China, while LG is out of South Korea and China. Samsung microwaves come from South Korea, China and Vietnam.
Bad news for you fans of burgers and steaks: Things could end up badly for beef-loving Texans if tariffs hit. While the U.S. is the largest beef producer in the world, 11% of that production is exported, which would be a big blow to ranchers.
Americans also love pasta. So much so that last year, we imported $1.75 billion in noodles, from spaghetti to macaroni. Most of it came from Italy, followed by South Korea, Canada, China and Thailand.
Time to kick back on the couch (likely imported) and browse Facebook or, better yet, catch up on the latest news on star-telegram.com!
If you're watching a Samsung or LG television, it came from Mexico. The kids' Nintendo or PlayStation came from Vietnam or China, respectively.
But perhaps with all this head-spinning news about tariffs, you prefer to relax before bed with a good book. We have some good news for you.
America is, by far, the world's biggest producer of good old-fashioned books.
This article was produced by Star-Telegram journalists Brayden Garcia, Ella Gonzales, Jake Harris and Matt Leclercq; and McClatchy illustrator Rachel Handley and graphics director Sohail Al-Jamea.