Advice on what to do as Trump's tariffs may raise already-inflated food prices

People are being urged to stock up on four items in particular ahead of the Trump administration threatening yet more tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods.

There's been much back and forth between the US and its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, with President Trump having paused tariffs on some items to then drastically increase it on others.

For example, in the latest blow Canada, Trump said that as of tomorrow (March 12), there will be a huge 50 percent tariffs imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum, although he's now said he'll 'probably' reconsider.

The Trump administration is expected to bring in the tariffs on April 2 (Annabelle Gordon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Other tariff hikes are expected to come into force April 2. Tariffs on goods shipped under North America's free trade pact, the US-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA), are expected to come into force on this date.

Some of these items that fall under USMCA include televisions, air conditioners, avocados and beef, BBC News reports.

And Trump has since threatened that the tariffs could still 'go up' yet, said CNN.

In response to the threats, Canada has taken American liquors off store shelves.

Brands such as Jack Daniel's have responded to this and branded the fact that its product was being removed from stores as being 'worse than a tariff'.

"It's literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves," fumed Lawson Whiting, Brown-Forman CEO (the maker of Jack Daniel's).

Ahead of these hikes, people are being urged to stock up on certain groceries as Canada and Mexico are some of America's top suppliers for food and drink.

Seafood and meat

More than half of fresh red meat in the US comes comes from Canada, says the Department of Agriculture.

Canada also supplies the country with poultry and prepared meats, which includes processed meats like smoked sausage and cured ham, says EatingWell.

"Canada is the largest exporter of seafood to the US, particularly when it comes to shellfish," the outlet adds.

Nuts

Mexico is said to be America's second largest supplier of nuts, following behind Vietnam.

When it comes to ground nuts, however, Mexico comes in as the country's top supplier.

Nuts are likely to go up in price (Getty Stock Images)

Canned legumes

Mexico and Canada, alongside Guatemala and Peru, are said to be the US' top suppliers of canned legumes.

Unlike fresh items, canned goods like these can be stored for up to five years, says EatingWell, so they're definitely worth stockpiling on.

Fruit and veg

In 2023, America reported imported a whopping $11 billion worth of fruit from Mexico.

As for veggies, both Canadian and Mexican produce made up for $14 billion in imports the same year.

With this in mind, it's very likely they will also be subjected to higher prices from April 2 onwards.