Summary

Americans, frustrated by high grocery prices, are looking to President-elect Trump for relief. Trump has pledged to lower food costs through tariffs on imports and by reducing energy prices, arguing that these measures would benefit U.S. farmers and consumers.

However, experts warn that tariffs could drive up prices by increasing costs for imported goods essential to food production and risk retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports.

Economists also doubt Trump’s short-term impact on energy costs, noting that sustained grocery price drops are challenging without major economic shifts.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 month ago

    Also deporting millions of farm workers isn’t going to help prices stabilize when farmers have vegetables rotting on the vine because they can’t afford US citizens and how much they expect to be paid to be a farm-hand and on top of that US citizens tend to be fat and fucking lazy in comparison to the immigrant laborers.

    Further, in Washington state, many immigrants have made a livelihood by working their way up and buying the orchard out from the owner. How many of those immigrants will be denaturalized and now the orchard has no ownership and is up for grabs at pennies on the dollar, further consolidating food ownership.

    If the US dollar is still somehow the world’s reserve currency after all this fucking idiocy, I’ll genuinely be shocked.

    • TheTechnician27@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I’m also going to note that a ton of slaughterhouse workers are either undocumented or are the sorts of legal first-generation Latino immigrants Trump would still want to illegally deport. Even as a vegan who wants to see this industry die I can see how fucking disastrous that kind of shock would be for food prices. Even the change in public perception would be massive since it seems like the price of meat is one of the most significant barometers most meat-eaters use for how expensive groceries are.

      • Drusas@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        Probably because meats are relatively expensive and they consider them to be necessary rather than an optional luxury item.

    • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)@badatbeing.social
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      1 month ago

      Also deporting millions of farm workers isn’t going to help prices stabilize when farmers have vegetables rotting on the vine because they can’t afford US citizens and how much they expect to be paid to be a farm-hand and on top of that US citizens tend to be fat and fucking lazy in comparison to the immigrant laborers.

      We can just use High School kids again. /s

      If the US dollar is still somehow the world’s reserve currency after all this fucking idiocy, I’ll genuinely be shocked.

      If Trump’s admin does crash the currency look for him to try and shift the US to his crypto grift coin which is I’m sure 100% legit and will not benefit from new regulation written around it being a black box of money laundering/bribe/slush fund.

    • Damage@feddit.it
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      1 month ago

      If they deport them they lose both their bottom, most exploitable social group, and the hate/fear catalyst for their base… The idea is to take away all their rights and keep them subjugated.

    • Frozengyro@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Where do you get those numbers? I mostly ask because I think the new car and used car prices seem high. Also, the rent seems low, but obviously rent is extremely location dependant.

      • FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        I was paying more six years ago for a run down 2 bed apartment outside of Seattle but still within the metro. That rent figure is more in line with my current mortgage payment, but I bought at what I thought was going to be a stupid time (interest is still higher than what I bought at).

        Base model 2024 Crosstrek is 25k, and I could get about 8k for my 18yo car. I’m sure a dealership would sell it for the same that I paid 9 years ago, ~12k.

  • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 month ago

    Trump will lower grocery prices the same day he ends the war in Gaza.

    And if you believe that, I’ve got a hat to sell you (*made in China).

  • Jinni@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    Anyone who understood what tariffs are could of told you this. Harris may not of had any economic plans other than ctax the 1%', but Trump’s was demonstrably counter productive with tariffs

    • HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Let me put it there for those idiots.

      Tarrifs on food imports would be great for US farmers because they no longer have to compete with low priced imports, as the cost to import increases. You would induce a shortage at the current price point, resulting in less food avaliable and at a higher price.

      Small point - farmers would probably still miss out as resellers and supermarkets take much of the marginal profit.

      • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        On the other hand, with all of their workers having been deported, farmers wouldn’t be able to produce anything at all. This is why I want to believe that Republican talk of deportation is just bluster, but I thought that about Roe v. Wade as well.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        I think you might be looking at this wrong. Over 20% of agricultural products are exported in the US, less than 15% is imported. Food is a substitution commodity, if you can’t buy one kind, you will buy another.

        There is and will be no shortage of food in America. Food grown in central and south America? Maybe. This will just hurt all those farms exporting soy beans when the retaliation comes in to play.

        • HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Yes, you are correct but I disagree on few technicalities that make a difference.

          • products do have substitutes, but you are talking comming down from a global market. Calories are there, but we don’t eat based on calories. You can’t substitute soybeans for tomatoes, potatoes for corn, or many others i don’t have examples for.

          • when the US starts putting in tarrifs for import, other nation states will likely do the same. Your exports of unwanted goods will no longer be competitive in the global market, leading to an excess of unwanted, cheap food and shortage of wanted, expensive food.

          • buddascrayon@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            You should look up the last time the US employed massive tariffs in a trade war. Spoilers, it was just before the Great depression.

  • BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    After gutting a dozen departments he might just take the savings and straight up subsidize food staples. Apparently people don’t give two fucks about why just as long as stuff is cheap.

    • Rentlar
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      1 month ago

      Not thinking Trump enough - he’s going to give a “Trump coupon/Trump cheque” to subsidize your grocery bill.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Stuff doesn’t get cheaper, only more profitable. Trump will subsidize stock prices while the price of eggs and milk continue to climb.

  • /home/pineapplelover@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    “you know I hate how he doesn’t like minorities, lgbtq, ukraine, palestine, lebanon, created an insurrection, has sexual allegations, is a felon. But at least my groceries will be cheaper grin.png”

    I bet a large chunk of the Trumpers thought like this

    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      is a felon

      A few houses in my neighborhood had the “I’M VOTING FOR THE CONVICTED FELON” signs up. I would have assumed this meant they were actually anti-Trump except they had a bunch of the conventional Trump signs up as well. My understanding of these people is that they think all the negative reporting about Trump is faked by the left (or that the criminal charges are invalid and politically motivated), not that they think it’s all true and support him anyway.

      • /home/pineapplelover@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        At work too my trumper coworkers said something like “people are saying how they’re not voting for trump because he’s a felon haha”. These guys admit he’s a felon and gladly vote for him.

  • Lexam@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    At this point I’m just going to sit back eat some popcorn and enjoy the show until they have my camp reservation ready.

  • NaibofTabr@infosec.pub
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    1 month ago

    Fuck no this administration won’t help. The best hope Americans had of lowering prices was Lina Kahn.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Tariffs will be the smallest issue here. Without illegals picking fruits, harvesting vegetables, caring for farm animals, or working in all kinds of food processing factories, food prices will go through the roof.

    But that is 100% GOP strategy. People at the brink of catastrophy, those living paycheck to paycheck, are perfectly exploitable and controlable.

  • davidagain@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    The only problem Trump plans on solving are his legal cases, his debt, and people saying he’s no good. The rest is just whatever whim takes him that day. Looking to Trump to solve something for you? You’re gonna have to wait till you’ve got something he wants.

  • Sparking@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    I would like to think that Democrats can hold him to this politically, but knowing them they will probably say it is their fault.