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Despite the pause in the U.S.-Mexico trade war, San Antonio families should expect to see food prices continue to climb. According to San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro, the higher prices will be a result of President Trump’s chaotic leadership that is pushing a 25% tariff with Mexico.
“The tariffs equal higher prices,” Castro addressed reporters while standing on the steps on San Antonio’s City Hall, joined by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and Democratic state Senators Jose Menendez and Roland Gutierrez.
Castro said the harm caused by the Trump trade war is clear.
“Even though those Mexico tariffs have been put on hold, people will still start to see their grocery prices go up,” he said.
Castro added that he spoke with regional grocery produce suppliers that deal in imports from Mexico and they are planning to still raise food prices because of the uncertainty in the market and the extra costs they have had to shoulder.
Nirenberg said he is planning on working with area businesses to find out how they are being impacted by the tariffs. He said he’ll also be coordinating with the San Antonio Food Bank to address expected increased food scarcity as prices rise.
“Whether the tariff’s hit today or tomorrow, San Antonio residents will get hit hard,” said Nirenberg while pointing out not only will the city be dealing with higher imported food prices but also the likely loss of jobs for local truck drivers and warehouse workers who depend on a vibrant flow of trade across the southern border.
Senator Gutierrez said another of Trump’s policies will be increasing food prices. He said Trump’s mass deportation of workers, who are without legal authority to be in the country, is hurting agriculture.
“Imagine what it would cost a family of four, just trying to make it, when their regular grocery bill is twelve hundred bucks a month and now they are looking at thirteen fourteen hundred bucks a month because their produce has gone up so much,” Gutierrez said.
“People just can’t make it anymore,” he said.
Senator Menendez said Trump ran for office promising to lower prices but now he isn’t concerned with how the tariffs will raise food prices.
“He doesn’t care. The bottom line is 'I want to do what I want to do.' Doesn’t matter who gets hurt.”
Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that there could "be some pain" for Americans but that "it will all be worth the price that must be paid."