TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The food on your table may be more international than you think. That raises the potential that tariffs could make you pay more at the grocery store.
People are bracing for the potential impact tariffs could have on your daily or weekly grocery bill. Imagine the situation in some of the many foreign grocery stores in the Tucson area where they are really worried because almost everything they have comes from overseas and is vulnerable to tariffs.
In the main language for the Philipines, Sari-Sari means variety and Nick’s Sari-Sari store on South Craycroft certainly has that. There’s a wide range of food from the Philippines and much of the rest of Asia.
Nick Subong says he’s stocked up on goods at pre-tariff prices. He’s hoping negotiations will reduce or end tariffs before he runs out and has to re-stock.
He worries about whether he’ll have to lay off staff and worries about the possible strain on his customers.
“Because the most affected here is the consumer. If the consumer is affected, of course, they will hesitate to buy. And then, of course, affect the business. It'll affect my employee, also you know, the incomes will affect everything,”
And the tariffs could be felt beyond stores that specialize in imported food.
Here’s just a sample:
The US Department of Agriculture says a huge share of the seafood on your plate comes from places like Vietnam, India and Chile.
Most bananas come from Guatemala and Costa Rica.
The World Bank says Vietnam, Thailand, Ivory Coast, and Brazil are major sources of nuts.
And a lot of our chocolate comes from Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Sandra says she already hops between stores to find the best deals. She says maybe she’ll have to bargain hunt harder and choose different products. She mentioned apples as an example.
“And so I had to buy a smaller bag and a different type of apple. And I'm like, Okay, well, maybe these apples are just as good. So that's just it. I mean, that's all you can do, is be a smart consumer.”
