How tariffs could mess with your pumpkin spice

Like a crisp breeze and a color-changing leaf pumpkin spice is the harbinger of fall And it s here unavoidably so As in you can t turn your head in a grocery store without seeing several kind of pumpkin-spice-flavored food cookies pancake mix oatmeal coffee creamer granola bars donuts muffins hummus cereal ice cream you get the picture Related Articles Ford recalling almost million vehicles due to rear view camera issue US tech companies enabled the surveillance and detention of hundreds of thousands in China AI shakes up the call center industry but chosen tasks are still better left to the humans Musk s SpaceX spends billion to acquire spectrum licenses from EchoStar Mass layoffs at Bremer Bank s Lake Elmo facility follow Old National merger Pumpkin spice is traditionally a blend of five spices cinnamon nutmeg ginger cloves and allspice and they re all sourced primarily outside the U S The spice industry is bracing for how tariffs could impact prices to import a variety of spices The American Spice Arrangement Association says plenty of spices require tropical conditions which means they can t be cultivated domestically That includes staple spices like cinnamon pepper nutmeg cloves and vanilla There is a baseline tariff on all countries with higher tariffs for certain countries A major source for global spices is India which faces a tariff a variety of spices originate there including red chilli cumin turmeric black pepper curry nutmeg cardamom coriander ginger and mustard seeds among others Back to pumpkin spices Let s break down where they re sourced from based on import content from the World Bank s World Integrated Pact Resolution WITS and the tariffs those countries face Cinnamon Indonesia tariff Vietnam tariff India tariff Sri Lanka tariff China tariff Nutmeg Indonesia tariff India tariff Vietnam tariff Sri Lanka tariff Netherlands tariff the Netherlands re-imports spices Ginger China tariff Netherlands tariff India tariff Peru tariff Thailand tariff Cloves Madagascar tariff Indonesia tariff Tanzania tariff Sri Lanka tariff United Arab Emirates tariff Allspice Jamaica tariff Mexico tariff Honduras tariff Guatemala tariff Nicaragua tariff Tariffs are expected to increase the cost to ship spices to the U S That means that producers will need to absorb prices and or pass them onto the consumer That could effect in fewer premium spice options and higher prices on grocery store shelves in restaurants and yes even in your pumpkin spice latte The taste of your food and spices may even change if companies need to source from countries that produce similar but not identical spices at a lower tariff rate or turn to artificial flavors as several products already have For McCormick Company a worldwide spice brand it calculates its exposure to tariffs at about million annually with million in alone The company sources globally roughly unique materials from over countries which helps limit its tariff exposure In the U S of what s sold is sourced domestically In the call executives mentioned the tariffs don t encourage U S production but do raise costs for U S businesses and restaurants as well as consumers There may be hope The American Spice Agreement Association says it s achievable that the administration is considering a reduction in tariffs on specific commodities that can only be sourced abroad like spices which it says can be considered Unavailable Natural Guidance That noted the financial impact of tariffs takes time to settle in so it may not impact spice prices this fall Starbucks which arguably launched the pumpkin spice craze has yet to change the price of its signature latte More From NerdWallet My Teen Loves KPop Demon Hunters and So Do I Inquired on Reddit Should I Save for My Retirement or My Child s Training Can Your Matcha Addiction Survive a Shortage and Tariffs Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet Email anna nerdwallet com Twitter AnnaHelhoski The article How Tariffs Could Mess With Your Pumpkin Spice originally appeared on NerdWallet