6 Pantry Staples To Stock Up on Now in Case of Tariff-Induced Product Shortages
Written by
Gabrielle Olya
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Although President Donald Trump’s blanket 10% tariff on imports is already in effect, many of the higher tariffs set to be put on individual countries are currently on pause. This presents a unique buying opportunity for those who want to get ahead of possible price hikes and product shortages.
“We are currently in a 90-day pause on many of the tariffs, so the environment is relatively stable,” said Joe Adamski, senior director, advisory at ProcureAbility. “Most supply chains have worked through items that were not subject to any tariff, so the inventory on hand today has the current ‘standard’ tariff applied to it and will until July. There isn’t a big expectation of additional tariff movements until then, so there is time to make decisions.”
While you shouldn’t stockpile things you don’t need or highly perishable items, purchasing long-lasting pantry items now could be a good idea. Here are a few pantry items you may want to buy now before possible price hikes or shortages take place.
Coffee
Your daily cup of coffee could be at risk if tariffs lead to shortages.
“The vast majority of coffee is sourced from outside the U.S.,” Adamski said. “The small amount produced in Hawaii is negligible.”
Chocolate
If you’re a chocolate-lover, consider adding a few extra bars to your cart on your next grocery run.
“Cocoa beans — meaning chocolate — cannot be grown in the United States and thus will be impacted by tariffs,” Adamski noted.
Rice
Rice is another pantry item you may want to buy more of now.
“One third of rice consumed in the U.S. is imported,” Adamski said. “Imported pantry items that can be stored and kept fresh are good candidates for advance purchase.”
Other Pantry Items That Could Be Affected by Tariffs
In addition to the above items, there are several more pantry items that could be impacted by tariffs, as they are largely imported:
- Vanilla extract: Many of the world’s vanilla beans come from Madagascar.
- Olive oil: Often imported from the Mediterranean.
- Cinnamon: The U.S. gets much of its cinnamon supply from Sri Lanka.
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