Business owners in South Florida brace for impacts as Trump announces tariffs on all good from China, Canada and Mexico. NBC6’s Ari Odzer reports
Imports from China, Canada and Mexico to South Florida, including West Palm Beach, Key West, area airports and seaports, totaled more than $9.1 billion last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data reviewed by NBC6.
That includes $6.9 billion in goods from China alone. Mexico exported $1.37 billion in products last year to South Florida, followed by Canada with $839 million.
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WATCH HEREIf the 10% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday were applied equally to all of those Chinese goods, and the Chinese exporters did not lower their prices, it would cost importers of record (mostly American companies) around $690 million more.
And that's in addition to the 10 percent duty he had slapped on Beijing in early February.
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How much of that is passed onto the consumer depends largely on whether the importers of record, those in the supply chain, and the ultimate end-sellers lower their profit margins or pass along the full cost to consumers. Or, companies exporting to the U.S. could lower their prices in reaction to tariffs.
So where could South Florida expect to see an impact?
Here are the top 10 categories for items imported into South Florida from each of the three countries for 2024.
China 2024
| 85 Electric machinery (Electronics: phones, TVs, batteries, wires, etc.) | $3,312,687,717 |
| 84 Machinery: Air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, washing machines/dryers, appliances, manufacturing equipment, etc.) | $871,557,268 |
| 94 Furniture, bedding, mattresses | $288,504,185 |
| 39 Plastics: Tableware, floor coverings | $260,802,296 |
| 95 Toys, games, sporting goods, video games, fishing rods | $181,286,209 |
| 98 Special classification | $173,418,698 |
| 90 Optic, photo, etc., medical or surgical instruments, cameras, x-ray machines | $150,368,881 |
| 87 Vehicles: tractors, trucks, buses, motorcycles, cars, baby carriers | $133,839,269 |
| 73 Articles of iron | $122,499,771 |
| 61 Apparel articles | $102,066,538 |
Mexico 2024
| 98 Special classification | $480,927,586 |
| 71 Precious metals and stones, gold | $176,733,036 |
| 22 Beverages, spirits | $152,760,448 |
| 84 Machinery: Air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, washing machines/dryers, appliances, manufacturing equipment, etc.) | $129,619,837 |
| 27 Mineral fuel, oil, etc. | $128,636,410 |
| 03 Fish, crustaceans | $75,524,132 |
| 85 Electric machinery (Electronics: Phones, TVs, batteries, wires, etc.,) | $34,205,285 |
| 39 Plastics and articles | $25,426,101 |
| 61 Apparel articles | $20,816,538 |
| 33 Essential oils, etc. | $19,463,410 |
Canada 2024
| 84 Machinery: Air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, washing machines/dryers, appliances, manufacturing equipment, etc.) | $381,585,077 |
| 88 Aircraft, spacecraft | $149,107,918 |
| 27 Mineral fuel, oil, etc. | $87,724,929 |
| 20 Prep vegetables, fruit | $78,654,257 |
| 98 Special classification | $49,630,430 |
| 85 Electric machinery (Electronics: Phones, TVs, batteries, wires, etc…) | $25,047,359 |
| 90 Optic, photo, etc., medical or surgical instruments, cameras, x-ray machines | $19,952,940 |
| 22 Beverages, spirits | $6,641,332 |
| 48 Paper and paperboard | $6,491,201 |
| 73 Articles of iron | $ 5,184,547 |
Trump will get another opportunity to explain his tariff plans on Tuesday night during a joint address to the U.S. Congress.
Local
A senior administration official told NBC News last week that tariffs would be one area of focus for Trump's remarks, along with immigration, government efficiency efforts and the rollback of diversity programs. See how to watch here.
