Grocery inflation highest since 2022 as Trump tariffs pile up President Trump spent his 2024 campaign promising Americans he'd lower grocery prices. Virtually all major grocery categories are now more expensive than they were a year ago, some substantially so. Why it matters: Trump's economic polling numbers are about the worst they've ever been, and almost on par with the worst of the Biden presidency. Whatever growth the administration says is coming from its trade and industrial policy, nothing is more vivid to households than what they pay to feed themselves. Driving the news: The food-at-home component of the Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in August from July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Thursday. This was the biggest month-over-month increase since August 2022, the tail end of a year of huge monthly increases in grocery prices. The big picture: Trump has framed his tariffs on China, steel and other imports as a way to protect American workers and bring down costs. But those same trade barriers can raise input costs — from fertilizer to machinery to transportation — that ripple through food prices. Grocery chains, already facing higher wholesale costs, say they are trying to avoid passing the increases along to shoppers where possible. State of play: Retailers including Walmart have said they have had to increase some prices. Kroger CFO David Kennerley said Thursday that the chain's approach is to "raise prices as a last resort, to ensure that we keep prices as low as possible." Interim CEO Ron Sargent said they've lowered prices on more than 3,500 products across stores, which is "improving our price spreads against our major competitors." By the numbers: Broad price increases last month hit key items that have been subject to Trump's tariffs, including groceries. Coffee is up 20.9% year-over-year, with a 3.1% monthly increase, per CPI. Uncooked beef steaks are up 16.6% year-over-year with a 3.3% monthly bump. While fruits and vegetable overall were up 2.3% year over year, apples rose 9.6% and bananas, 6.6%. What they're saying: Bankrate analyst Stephen Kates tells Axios that each month's increase may add only a few cents to individual items, or a few dollars to a shopping trip, but over time it adds up. "Grocery retailers, already operating on slim margins, have little room to cut prices on their own," Kates says. For the record: A White House official notes that the annualized pace of grocery inflation since Trump took office is 1.8%, a low figure that is less than the late Biden era. The August data, on its own, does not make a trend, the official adds. "As the Trump economic agenda continues to take effect, the trillions of dollars in private sector and foreign investments, historic tax cuts, massive deregulation, and energy dominance that the President is spearheading will fuel an economic boom," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Reality check: It's not just tariffs pushing up grocery costs — and of the many factors at play, it's not clear how long some will last. "Bad weather, shortages of farm workers and tariffs are potential culprits behind high grocery prices," wrote Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank. "But grocery prices can be volatile, and it will take time to know how persistent August's spike will be," The White House said last week that it would consider lowering tariffs on hundreds of products across sectors, including food, if specific deals can be struck with trading partners.. What we're watching: The prospect of lower tariffs on some grocery staples in particular could ease pressure on consumers, but any impact would be months away. Without relief, according to Phil Kafarakis, CEO of IFMA, The Food Away From Home Association, consumers will be paying more for holiday meals and facing shortages on a variety of items. "Consumers will be faced with purchase decisions that they have not had to make in years," Kafarakis tells Axios.
If anyone is wondering why electricity prices are so high in blue states, just take a look at this failed solar project. High quality, low-cost electricity generation was shut down and mothballed to give way to this junk science. Fossil fuel plants were targeted by liberals and liberal NGOs and systematically shut down as the liberal energy crusaders pursued their green new deal fantasies. Now consumers are paying the price in the form of higher electricity costs. $2.2 billion solar plant in California turned off after years of wasted money: ‘Never lived up to its promises’ The solar power plant, which features three 459-foot towers and thousands of computer-controlled mirrors known as heliostats, cost some $2.2 billion to build. Construction began in 2010 and was completed in 2014. Now, it’s set to close in 2026 after failing to efficiently generate solar energy. In 2011, the US Department of Energy under former President Barack Obama issued $1.6 billion in three federal loan guarantees for the project and the Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, hailed it as “an example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy.” But ultimately, it’s been more emblematic of profligate government spending and unwise bets on poorly conceived, quickly outdated technologies. “Ivanpah stands as a testament to the waste and inefficiency of government subsidized energy schemes,”Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, an American energy advocacy group, told Fox News via statement this past February. It “never lived up to its promises, producing less electricity than expected, while relying on natural gas to stay operational.” https://nypost.com/2025/09/23/us-ne...ornia-turned-off-after-years-of-wasted-money/
Traitor George cherry-picks, omitting to mention this success story How Tesla shows Obama’s green loan program was a success
Take a break from the fascist stuff to note how Embarrassing and Stupid these two posts are. Why would anyone vote for this? National security emergency of Bathroom Vanities? Fun additional fact: @Os Trigonum voted for this three times
....because they prefer manufacturing jobs in AMERICA and not in foreign countries. Republicans do not turn their back on the American worker. Democrats seem to prioritize the Chinese worker. GOOD DAY
Trump's use of the words National Emergency to implement executive orders left and right should be deemed a National Emergency in itself. Trump is killing Americans slowly with his stupid policies driving prices up and up and up and up. The guy is as and unhinged as it gets. Power mongering and threats, over and over and over and over by a lying con, felon, and wannabe dictator. He just keeps throwing up the middle finger to all the morons who fell for his BS promises on inflation, the economy, and working for the middle class American's.
Even the openly corrupt, racist, six shadow docket enthusiast Trump rubber stampers pn the Supreme court must hate this (though, I've been surprised before at how self abasing they are). Can they actually muster 5 votes (or actually just 2 of 6) to get rid of obviously illegal tariffs or are they the cowards we thought they were and that they have proven us right on continuously for the last decade or more. Really riveting stuff. Can't wait to find out.
Weve been shredding Manufacturing jobs at double the pace since tariffs were announced. Why do you morons keep pretending theres some massive Manufacturing boom happening. Construction jobs are at the lowest they've been in years. Native born unemployment is at 5 year high MAGATs will lie to you all day with a straight face. Shameless cultists
Building large manufacturing plants takes time... and Biden left a vacuum of no projects... because he had no problems with manufacturing things in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc. The engineering phase of a US manufacturing plant requires many months. You obviously have never overseen the construction of anything in your life. These are simple basics we are talking about. GOOD DAY
"Biden left no vacuum of no projects" lol when biden left we had over 900 manufacturing facilities broken ground already https://iratracker.org/ira-database/ Again you cultist can continue to lie as much as you want but none of it makes it true. Your cult hero is hanging up signs at projects that were started under biden taking credit Stop lying
We've been through this before -- these are not manufacturing facilities. Do you even know what a manufacturing facility is? This is from the link you posted. It's a climate change provision database. You have no clue what you are talking about. With respect, you are likely the least intelligent person I have interacted with in weeks. This database compiles information about the climate change-related provisions of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), organized by federal agency. Click on the agency links below to see a list of IRA provisions the relevant agency is responsible for implementing. For information about steps taken by the agencies to implement the provisions, please visit the IRA Tracker. GOOD DAY
Yeah cultist those are climate related manufacturing facilities like battery plants, solar manufacturing and other green tech related projects. You know something the entire world is focusing on right now other than MAGA. Battery manufacturing plants are all unionized workers who make great $$. You cultists literally make no sense.
FALSE. Very few of the projects are the construction of manufacturing plants. Literally almost none of them. Instead, it's a laundry lists of grants, tax credits, funding for government environmental programs, and climate change provisions. You falsely claimed it was 900 manufacturing plants that have broken ground. What an incredible lie. Shame on you -- this is one of your most dishonest posts ever -- and that's saying something. You are a dishonest person at your core -- and your posts here prove it. GOOD DAY
False. That 900 number is the total number of projects that the bill has funded overall. The number of projects that have broken ground and been fully financed is over 400 and you can look at the entire list here. https://e2.org/announcements/ The bottom line is hundreds of projects were under construction at the time Trump came into office. You lied like usual cuz you have no morals
You originally said 900 manufacturing facilities have broken ground. That was an outright lie. Now you are down to 400, but still a lie. These are climate change provisions, tax incentives, funding for clean vehicles, and funding for research studies, etc. Shockingly, you still don’t get that these are not manufacturing jobs. And they definitely are not what you claimed, which was 900 manufacturing facilities that have broken ground. You got busted for lying, amigo. Your reputation is in tatters. It will never recover with me. Dishonesty is an unforgivable action in my book. GOOD DAY
