TAMPA, Fla. — It’s still unclear what impact President Trump’s proposed tariffs on aluminum and steel might have here in Florida. Nothing has been finalized yet.
But if what the president discussed with reporters this week comes true, consumers could eventually see a slight increase in some products and more in others.
For example, economists and industry experts predict the cost of a car could eventually go up by around $50 to $300 depending on who you ask. Experts say that’s something that many people might not even notice.
A can of beer or cola could go up a cent or two, according to the experts we talked to and that’s because you’re paying for the beer or soda inside the can. The aluminum is a very small percentage of the cost.
Where you may really feel the difference would be in products made completely out of aluminum or steel.
Items like garage doors, hurricane shutters, air conditioning units and industrial garbage dumpsters could all potentially see larger price increases.
The biggest impact could be on manufacturers who use aluminum or steel to produce these products.
At 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg, ownership is still working to determine what the impact might be. They already spend around $400,000 for aluminum cans each year, and any increase could cut into profits for the company.
Also, steel is one of the big imports at Port Tampa Bay. Local companies importing that steel could also feel an impact and depending on how big, that could even affect some local jobs.
On the upside, the reason the president wanted to do this was to create jobs and while we think of Ohio and Michigan as the Steel Belt, new factories might actually open here in the Southeast, where there aren’t as many unions and manufacturing costs can be less expensive.
