- Tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump could have a major effect on American parents’ pocketbooks.
- Products such as groceries, diapers, and strollers are some of the items that could see price hikes.
- Here are 13 things that could get more expensive if the US enters a trade war with China.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Early last month, President Donald Trump proposed a tariff hike on China worth about $300 billion, following a previous increase in May that raised existing tariffs by 15%.
These tariffs against China aren’t the only ones Trump has brought up – last month, he floated the idea of imposing tariffs against Mexico related to immigration, and on July 3, he even suggested he might slap tariffs on the European Union.
But despite continued threats, Trump has held back on following through with his Mexico tariffs, and he has tabled last month’s China tariff hike for now.
His existing trade policies toward China, however, are already projected to have an impact on American families, especially parents. The cost of childcare products could rise up to 20% if Trump’s new China tariffs are imposed, and tariffs imposed in may will cost average families of four as much as $2,300 per year.
Groceries, diapers, and baby strollers are just a few of the items that could see huge price hikes because of the tariffs.
Here are the products that could suddenly get more expensive for American parents as a part of Trump's trade war.
Cars
Parents looking to buy bigger vehicles to ferry their kids to and from school may find a noticeable increase in costs.
Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs are affecting a wide variety of products and goods, including automobiles, and Gary Hufbauer, a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Business Insider that if Trump's threatened Mexico tariffs go through, the cost of autos might rise by up to $1,500 per vehicle.
Baby strollers
Few parents can go without baby strollers, yet the price of this essential childcare product may rise by up to 20%, the CEO of baby products brand Evenflo told CNBC.
Children's clothing and shoes
Children's apparel, shoes, hats, and other items will see price increases as a result of Trump's tariffs imposed in May.
According to Reuters, 173 footwear companies have asked the Trump administration to remove shoe products from the tariff list.
Groceries
A huge part of the tariff list released after Trump's imposed tariffs from May is dedicated to groceries, including fish, meats, frozen goods, and more. The rise in cost of these products will make saving money much more difficult for parents who want to avoid eating out.
Some of the products that will be subject to tariffs include vegetables like carrots, kale, and cabbage, hundreds of kinds of fish, stuffed pasta, strawberry jam, and soy sauce.
Diapers
Diapers, one of the most basic products parents need while raising a child, will likely seen an increase in cost if the tariffs Trump proposed in June go into effect, according to the National Retail Federation.
Vacuums
Vacuum cleaners are essential household items for many parents, but according to SharkNinja SVP Pedro Lopez-Baldrich, their cost may rise by up to 10 to 25%.
Bicycles
Bike riding is a staple of many people's childhoods - yet Trump's tariffs may cause parents to grapple with an increase in bicycle costs because the vast majority of bikes in the US are made in China.
According to Reuters, 94% of US bicycle imports come from China.
Sports gear
Bicycles aren't the only type of outdoor recreation equipment that will be affected by Trump's trade war. Baseball gloves, bats, caps, and headgear for other sports is also slated to see marked increase in cost as Trump's tariffs continue to go into effect.
Tariffs would disrupt the bottom lines of sporting good companies and force them to increase prices, according to the testimony of Bill Sells, the senior vice president of government and public affairs for the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
"Every company strikes a delicate balance between quality and cost by assessing both their operations and the price sensitivities of their customers," Sells said in his testimony to the US Trade Representative. "Some price points can only be offered by manufacturing a product or part of a product abroad."
Washing machines and clothes dryers
Tariffs imposed on washing machines last year caused an increase in their price, but also elevated the cost of clothes dryers, which are now reportedly costing consumers $100 more per unit, according to NBC News.
With kids in the house and lots of clothes to wash, many parents will have to stomach this cost as tariffs continue to be in force.
Electronics
According to Hufbauer, the price of iPhones, which parents are buying for their children at increasingly younger ages, may jump because of Trump's trade war with China. Other consumer electronics in general, which are becoming an ever-growing part of child rearing, are likely to cost more as well.
Art supplies
The goods listed in the tariff list from May include art supplies, which parents regularly buy for their children for schoolwork, entertainment, and more. Their prices are also expected to shoot up as a result of tariffs that Trump has already imposed.
Toys
The additional tariffs Trump had threatened in June would create an increase in the cost of toys, which would cost American families $3.7 billion more in total per year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Mattresses
Joe Shamie, CEO of Delta Children, a company that produces a variety of childcare furniture and products, told Business Insider that his company has already seen the effects of Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs on their production of children's mattresses, which include parts made from these metals.
