What prices will rise in Kansas with Trump’s tariffs? Expert discusses consumer impacts
Goods imported from other countries could get more expensive after President Donald Trump announced his plan to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China.
If the tariffs move forward, they could have a big impact on not only the economy, but also residents’ wallets. In fact, the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit tax research center, found that the tariffs would lead to an additional $800 in taxes a year for the average U.S. household.
Tariffs on Canada and Mexico are currently on hold pending negotiations. If the tariffs move forward, all three countries are likely to implement retaliatory tariffs, which would tax exports from the U.S. to their countries.
So, what does that mean for Kansas?
We spoke with Donna Ginther, an economics professor at the University of Kansas, to see how these international trade negotiations could impact the day-to-day lives of Kansans, including their regular expenses and jobs. Here’s what to know.
What are tariffs?
Tariffs are taxes applied to good imported from other countries, usually to protect domestic industries as well as retaliate against trade practices, the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations says.
What products does Kansas export?
Exports, products made in the U.S. and sold to other countries, could face an impact if the tariffs are implemented, Ginther said.
Kansas’ top export partners are Mexico, Canada, Japan and China, the Kansas Department of Commerce’s International Trade Summary says. Three out of those four countries are the countries that will have tariffs placed on imports and could retaliate on U.S. exports.
The state had $14 billion in exports in 2023.
“If you undercut a large share, that’s a sizable share of the economy,” Ginther said.
The top products exported from Kansas in 2024 were according to the Kansas Department of Commerce:
- Aircraft and parts (17.56% of Kansas exports)
- Meat (15.19% of Kansas exports)
- Industrial machinery (9.59% of Kansas exports)
- Cereals (9.56% of Kansas exports)
- Electric machinery (8.68% of Kansas exports)
There are two main areas that Kansas will see changes the most.
“It’s really going to affect agriculture, and it’s going to affect aviation,” Ginther said.
As the air capital of the world, Wichita will especially see the difference in aviation.
Additionally, exports support 65,000 jobs in the state.
What prices will increase in Kansas as a result of tariffs?
Ginther said that the annual impact of the tariffs will probably have the same impact on Kansans as it will nationally — so about $800 a year on the average Kansas household.
But if the tariffs are enacted, it will take a while to notice the difference.
“So food is perishable, so food would react first, can’t store food for a long time,” Ginther said. “The food price inflation would hit first, and then goods and service price inflation hit later.”
Ginther said the U.S. food system is completely tied to the other parts of North America.
“So when it’s winter here, we buy fruits and vegetables from Mexico. So those tariffs will lead to food price inflation,” she said.
“It’s going to affect food and energy prices and other goods and services that we import.”
Outside of food, Ginther said the prices of auto repairs and vehicles will be another noticeable difference.
“We import lots of car parts from both Mexico and Canada, so automobiles will become more expensive,” Ginther said. “And those large, durable good purchases drive the economy.”
To sum it up, Ginther said:
“Tariffs increase the price of goods, so the increased price is borne by the consumer.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What prices will rise in Kansas with Trump’s tariffs? Expert discusses consumer impacts."
