Grocery prices rose 2.4% over year as Trump repeats claim they’re falling

Data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the cost of food at home rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months and 0.7 percent in December, the fastest single-month increase since October 2022, even as President Trump continued to say grocery prices are falling. The reporting noted the comments were made during a speech in Detroit and described his assertions as false.

Specific food items have seen large increases: beef is up 16.4 percent, coffee 19.8 percent, lettuce 7.3 percent and frozen fish 8.6 percent over the year, while eggs are 20.9 percent cheaper than a year ago. Overall, prices rose in five of six major food-at-home categories. The report said low-income families are suffering the most, with some who temporarily lost SNAP benefits during last year’s government shutdown trading down to cheaper products, buying less and making more frequent trips to stores.

The article said there is no single reason for rising food costs; factors include fertilizer, machinery, labor and fuel costs, weather, where food is grown and shifting consumer preferences. It cited the administration’s tariff policy and immigration crackdowns as contributors to higher costs for some items and for farming inputs and packaging.

Tariffs have hit imports such as coffee and some tropical fruits — bananas were up 5.9 percent in December — and the report noted President Trump removed a 40 percent tariff on imports from Brazil in November.

Key Topics

Business, Donald Trump, Detroit, Bls, Tariffs, Beef