WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Some food and gas prices may go up following the announcement of new tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada.
"It could be some temporary short-term disruption and people will understand that," President Donald Trump said.
WATCH BELOW: Grocery store manager says he may have to raise prices
Starting Tuesday, items coming from Canada and Mexico will be taxed 25% and products from China taxed 10%. Trump cited the reason behind the tariffs.
“A lot of fentanyl comes through Canada and China makes the fentanyl, you know, China makes the fentanyl, gives it to Mexico, puts it through Canada, puts it through different, different places," Trump said.
Dos Hermanos grocery store in West Palm Beach is bracing for tariffs that may impact their business. Store manager Ventura Poz-Gomez said about 70% of their products are imported directly from Mexico.
"Consumers may be affected because they will pay for products and even more with these tariffs that are coming," Poz-Gomez said. "I’m not sure how we are going to manage.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico made up 69% of U.S. vegetable imports and 51% of U.S. fruit imports in 2022.
"Everything is expensive," Poz-Gomez said. "Then we hear because of tariffs prices will increase even more, so then we worry."
Dr. Rebel Cole, a finance professor at Florida Atlantic University, believes China may be the only country that will impact the majority of consumers since the U.S. relies on products like smartphones and automobile parts.
“China’s more of a problem because we get so much stuff from China," Cole said. "We're so dependent on them in our supply chain."
He said some consumers could substitute items from Mexico and Canada.
"It's a small part of our GDP, about 15%," Cole said. "Our economies dwarf the size of Mexico, dwarf the size of Canada."
Canada's prime minister and Mexico’s president said they would retaliate with tariffs on American goods. Meanwhile, Cole believes these tariffs will be short-lived.
"I think this is something that is going to be negotiated very quickly and will disappear," Cole said. "Certainly by the end of February. I think these tariffs will be on the rear-view mirror."
