
When President Donald Trump introduced a wave of tariffs on imported goods, economists warned consumers to brace for higher prices on everything from automobiles to electronics to everyday groceries. At first, however, those warnings seemed somewhat abstract to the average shopper. In the early months after the tariffs began rolling out in April, many grocery prices appeared relatively stable, especially at big-box retailers known for buying power and tight margins, like Costco.
Early evidence supported that perception. In June, Business Insider reporter Talia Lakritz compared the prices of 23 grocery items at Costco to what they cost before the tariffs took effect. The results were mixed: a few items had gone up, some had gone down, but the majority stayed the same. Even with additional tariffs scheduled to take effect in July, the overall impact on Costco’s grocery prices seemed minimal at the time.
Fast forward to the end of the year, and the picture looks very different. More tariffs have taken effect, supply chains have had time to adjust (or strain), and companies have begun passing higher costs along to consumers. Costco itself has even sued the federal government for tariff refunds on Chinese imports, according to CNN Business, underscoring just how significant the financial impact has become for the retailer.
So what does this mean for shoppers? A look at several everyday Costco items—some of the same ones tracked earlier in the year—shows that prices have indeed risen, sometimes sharply. These increases don’t always show up immediately, but over time they reveal how tariffs ripple through supply chains and eventually land in consumers’ carts.
Here are five Costco products that now cost more, and how Trump’s tariffs helped push their prices higher.