Holy Guacamole

Prepare for Guacamole to Be a Luxury Item https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/opinion/trump-tariffs-immigration-inflation.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

“The United States, astonishingly, is no longer a net agricultural exporter. Since 2019, it has imported more food than it exported in four of six years, and 2024 is expected to have a record food deficit. Labor shortages and their subsequent costs have contributed to the shift in the balance of trade, along with exchange rate trends (the strong dollar makes American goods less competitive overseas) and tariffs.

The pandemic, however, showed us the risks of relying on overseas supply chains for critical goods. A broader and more aggressive trade war would add to the burden on American farmers. The incoming president has already suggested he will levy 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Mexico and Canada and put an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports. All three countries play critical roles in global food supply chains, with Mexico and Canada the United States’ two largest suppliers of farm products, and China its largest buyer of agricultural goods, as of 2023.”