If you have been considering buying any new appliances for your kitchen you may want to buy them right now or start saving, because the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump are about to make most of them more expensive. The President’s imposition of sweeping new tariffs on just about every country in the world was far above what many experts and analysts expected, with overall tariff levels now skyrocketing to levels not seen in almost 100 years. They include some tariffs hitting nearly 50% on countries like Vietnam, but also a 10% across the board tariff as a baseline for every country. So if you are wondering whether your new fridge or blender is about to get more expensive, the answer is almost certainly yes, because tariffs aren’t just going to make your groceries more expensive, they will factor into almost every purchase.
This is true even if the products you buy are “Made in America” and theoretically exempt from tariffs. The reality is that global supply chains are complex things and even appliances manufactured in the U.S. often use imported parts and materials, which will be affected by new tariffs. One example is refrigerators. While there are fridges from Whirlpool or GE that are made in the U.S., Trump has increased tariffs on both the steel and aluminum used to make them. This means buying a new refrigerator is expected to cost 20% more than they did before those tariffs.
Tariffs will raise the price of many kitchen appliances are made overseas, or made with imported materials
Beyond materials for American-made appliances getting more expensive, American companies manufacture many of their products overseas. While KitchenAid makes its famous stand-mixer here, the company’s toaster, coffeemaker, and food processor are manufactured abroad. Frigidaire makes many of its refrigerators in Mexico.
The worst part for consumers is that some of the largest markers for producing kitchen appliances were hit with large tariffs. China is obviously a powerhouse in making small kitchen appliances and it is facing a new tariff rate of 34%. Almost half of gas grills are made there, and the vast majority of microwaves are made by two Chinese companies, Midea and Galanz, and resold under different brand names. South Korea, home of appliance powerhouses LG and Samsung, is facing a tariff rate of 26%. While not all of these brands produce everything in their home country, many of their products are made in China and Mexico as well.
While you don’t see as many everyday appliances made in Europe, lots of higher-end brands come from there. Think Italian coffeemakers, and Italian appliance brands like Smeg, or Germany’s Thermador and Bosch. Well the European Union is getting a 20% tariff too. And you won’t be able to find much solace by pouring yourself a drink, because Trump’s threatened liquor tariffs are about to make that a lot more expensive too.
