We’re going to discuss Trump and his tariffs—specifically how they affect banana prices and the supply process. But first, let’s talk about what this “whack-a-do” has done—or not done.
How about immigration? You know, the “millions and millions of rapists, murderers, and criminals” that, according to Trump, “Biden let into our country.” Now Trump says he’ll carry out the greatest deportation of these immigrants EVER!
Well, so far, Homan and Noem are having a tough time finding all these “bad guys,” so they started rounding up Latino men with tattoos and shipping them to prisons in El Salvador.
Oops! Uh, they made a mistake—on one guy, maybe two, but no more than three! And since these people “don’t get due process”—because they’re here illegally—they’re just thrown out. No court appearances. No hearings. No rights.
That plan backfired.
Now they’re deporting undocumented women with U.S. citizen children—women who were checking in with ICE as required—and arresting and deporting them anyway. Some of them even had a judicial order allowing them to stay in the U.S.
And the MAGAt Republicans? They say and do NOTHING!
OK, maybe you say, “The GOP will give Trump a pass on this one, so his minions can sort it out.” Right…
Next. What about those price drops Trump promised? Oh, those prices. Well, gas is down. That’s it. Pretty much everything else is either the same or higher—and going up more once all those tariffs hit merchandise at our ports. And here’s bigger news: the GDP for Q1 of 2025 is officially in negative territory.
Taxes? Still being paid on Social Security income, tips, and overtime. Nothing’s changed there either.
Trump says he’s not worried about a “little slowdown or recession” because America will be richer than ever from tariffs. He’s even suggested Canada and Greenland get on board early, so they don’t miss out on this so-called “Golden Age.”
Baloney. There’s no golden age on the horizon. There is, however, a recession looming over the U.S.—and likely the rest of the industrial world—created by the ‘Dear Leader’ felon himself. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania must be mortified that one of their alumni doesn’t understand basic economics. Forbes even said Trump inherited the best Economy in the world—all he had to do was leave it alone.
But he couldn’t.
Trump just slapped a 10% tariff on bananas, which sell for about $0.10 per pound from the grower. It’s a low tariff because the U.S. doesn’t really produce yellow bananas, so there’s no viable domestic substitute for the Latin American crop.
Now, consider 100 lbs. of imported bananas. By the time they hit store shelves, the total cost is $25.40—roughly $0.25/lb. The store needs at least a 20% margin, so the bananas go on sale for $0.30/lb. That means the bananas generate $0.20/lb in profit, split among the wholesaler, shipper, importer, local shipper, and the store.
Now suppose Florida could grow bananas—but they cost $0.25/lb to produce, plus $0.10/lb to ship to the store. That’s $0.35/lb in cost. The store now needs to charge $0.40/lb—10¢ more per pound than imported bananas. Plus, there are only three profit centers—grower, shipper, and store—versus five for the imported supply chain.
So why would the store stop buying imported bananas?
U.S.-grown bananas are 30% more expensive, and consumers typically go for the cheaper option. The same logic applies to shoes, shirts, pants, and other goods. It all works the same way.
That’s why tariffs don’t usually produce the desired result. The substitute product must be of like kind and quality (LKQ) for the same or lower price—not more. Then you have supply and demand factors to consider, which can shift the whole equation again.
Let’s say the store sells all 100 lbs. of imported bananas but can only move 80 lbs. of U.S. bananas. The remaining 20 lbs. are waste. That cost has to be absorbed—so next time, the store orders just 70 lbs. of U.S. bananas and raises the price 25% to cover previous losses. Now, the consumer is definitely buying the imported bananas—possibly for 50% less than U.S.-grown ones.
Bottom line: Tariffs applied in proper amounts and on goods with viable substitutes can help domestic manufacturing and agriculture—but in most cases, they do not.
Tariffs are not a replacement for income taxes. Income taxes are fairer and more equitable, while tariffs and sales taxes are regressive—the less you make, the harder they hit your Lifestyle.
And on top of all this? The Convict is running his businesses out of the White House—hawking Crypto, cars, and whatever else he can make Money from—while costing taxpayers $30 million for his trips to Mar-a-Lago and his golf courses.
Hypocrite.
A New Jersey native and Rider University graduate, Rick Comfort is a former police officer, volunteer fireman, and retired operations and marketing exec with a Fortune 50 company in multiple US and Canadian locations. He’s a staunch supporter of Democrats. Welcome to Lean to the Left, Rick!
