2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Canned food prices have risen as Trump’s steel tariffs drove up the cost of tin plate, the thin steel used to make cans and a major component of canned fruits and vegetables.
About one-third of a canned fruit or vegetable’s wholesale price comes from the can itself, so higher steel costs are feeding directly into staple grocery prices for items such as corn and beans.
U.S. can makers say the tariffs have not meaningfully expanded domestic tin-plate supply; imports of can-grade steel surged in 2025 and manufacturers still depend heavily on foreign material.
The 50% steel levies were imposed under Section 232 on national security grounds, giving them firmer legal footing than some other Trump tariffs that courts have already overturned.
Why are tariffs meant to protect U.S. industry causing American food canning plants to close?
A domestic tin mill restarts in 2027. Can the U.S. canned food industry survive until then?