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E-mail Xinhua, March 21, 2025
by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan
NEW YORK, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Estelle Espinola, a resident of the New York City borough of Queens, is shocked by every visit to the supermarket.
"I understand there is a bird flu, so egg prices are extremely high," said the woman in her 70s. "But when I go in and see 23 U.S. dollars for a dozen eggs, I can finally feel I won the battle if I find a dozen for 9 U.S. dollars."
Espinola told Xinhua that a year and a half ago, she was paying as little as 2.99 or 3.99 dollars for a dozen eggs.
Tariffs imposed or threatened by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on U.S. trading partners are adding to the pessimism of U.S. consumers and small businesses as the impacts of high prices continue to drag on.
Statistics show that while U.S. retail egg prices have come down recently, one dozen eggs still cost around 10 dollars in grocery stores in Queens.
"I wanted to make a cake, and the cake took three eggs, and I said, 'I'll buy a cake. It's cheaper,'" said Espinola.
High egg prices also led to a change in consumers' behaviors in various ways.
For Will, a New Yorker in his 20s, the rising cost of eggs has changed his breakfast routine.
"I've stopped buying as many eggs because they're so expensive. Now, I eat other things for breakfast," said Will.
For others, more time and energy are used to find cheaper-priced eggs.
"We've seen a lot of bad situations. My husband woke up early yesterday to stand in line to buy eggs at Costco. That's pretty bad," said Linda Ash, a housewife with three kids.
The Bulk purchasing model of Costco, a major retailer in America, provides lower prices than traditional retail stores.
"It's really annoying to spend so much extra time on things like buying eggs. You see, I'm looking around at the farmers' market right now, but in fact, I'm almost not going to buy anything because most of the food here is more expensive than Costco," said Ash on Monday at a farmers' market in Union Square in Manhattan.
GROWING CONCERNS
Tariffs on imports are fueling consumer and business concerns. The University of Michigan's survey shows U.S. consumer sentiment has dropped for three straight months, hitting 57.9 in March -- 22 percent below December 2024 levels.
"I'm worried that's going to make the cost of living go up ... Rent has always been high. That's always an issue, but everything else is going up to now," said Will, adding he is trying to cut back in general from spending to traveling.
"I thought he (Donald Trump) was an economy-first president. That's probably a good thing for us small business owners. But a lot of the crazy policies now are showing us otherwise," said Andrea Young, who runs a small vegan chocolate business in Harlem, a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan.
"We're seeing inflation. We're seeing him impose strict tariffs on our allies. That's dangerous for the economy," Young said, noting she would cut back to maintain her business as costs have increased.
Catherine Heald, CEO of Remote Lands, a New York-based travel agency focused on Asian luxury travel, said poor diplomatic relations could hurt her business as her company has partners in Japan, China, South Korea and Thailand.
"Many of the new administration's initiatives, such as tariffs, are crazy," said Heald. "We worry that its conservatism ... will strain our relationships with our clients and partners." Enditem
(Xinhua reporter Qin Mingwei also contributed to this story.)
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