Louisiana's tariff tab
Taxes on imports are raising prices at the grocery store and at
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have cost Louisiana an estimated $2.6 billion since January 2025, about $1,395 per household, according to Trade Partnership Worldwide, a pro-trade research group.
Why it matters: Tariffs leave Louisiana businesses with less money to invest and expand while raising the prices residents pay for cars, groceries and other goods.
- Those costs fall especially hard on middle- and lower-income families in one of the nation’s poorest states.
- They can also increase demand for publicly funded services such as health care, spreading the financial burden more broadly.
By the numbers:
- About 78% of $2.56 billion in tariffs were imposed on raw materials, parts and equipment purchased by Louisiana manufacturers.
- Steel, aluminum and other metals were hit hardest, accounting for $698 million.
- Food and beverages followed at $351 million, with cars and trucks at $251 million.
- The average tariff on imported cars was 18.4% during the 12 months ending in June, up from just 0.2% before Trump’s tariffs.
The bigger picture: The effects of tariffs are being compounded by the war in Iran. Mosaic Co. is laying off 206 employees in St. James Parish because of price spikes in sulfur it uses to make fertilizer.
The bottom line: Louisiana ranked 26th among states in total tariff costs, Trade Partnership Worldwide says. But the impact is particularly painful here, where incomes are lower and the poverty rate is about twice the national average.