The Trump Tariffs Will Make Essential Baby Products Even More Expensive

The Trump tariffs have already thrown global markets into chaos, sown division and confusion among the general public, and left a lot of us wondering if we need to start panic-buying essentials or big purchases. But there’s one more complication these tariffs are poised to bring—essential baby items are likely to increase in price.

It goes without saying, but this is the last thing parents need. The US is already the most expensive country to give birth in, one of few in the world with no paid leave for birthing parents, and where parents face extraordinary costs for childcare.

Now expectant parents all over the internet are scrambling trying to figure out how the tariffs—145% placed on China and 10% on several other countries, with more potentially to come after a 90-day pause—could potentially impact big-ticket purchases like car seats, strollers, and cribs. Their main question is: Do you need to buy all these things now, even if you aren’t having your baby for months?

Well, experts consulted by Glamour say that’s probably a good idea.

“For the really important essential items, the bassinet, the car seat, the stroller, I really do think it makes sense to—if you see them at a good price point—to go ahead and grab them,” says Lindsay Owens, a consumer advocate and the executive director of the economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative.

It’s not just that prices could skyrocket. The bigger issue, Owens says, is that we could see shortages down the line, especially on items made in China, as suppliers anticipate less of a demand due to higher costs.

“They may make fewer, or they may make fewer initially and sort of see how demand shakes out,” she says. “So I think what you’re going to see is manufacturing and retailer uncertainty around the tariffs which may lead to supply bottlenecks in the short and medium term.”

For many reasons, this is the last complication many new or expecting parents need. On Reddit forums such as r/BabyBumps and r/pregnant, many moms have said they are adjusting their budgets to buy all their big ticket items at once, which is causing a significant financial strain. Many parents also wait for their baby shower before buying big-ticket items (you never know who may give a very generous gift), but now they are concerned about waiting.

Then there’s the fact that while many new purchases may ultimately be able to be canceled or postponed, there’s no way to get around buying things like a stroller or a crib for a new baby. Take car seats, for example. Not only are you required to have one by law in all 50 states, it is not recommended to buy one second-hand.

All of this adds up, says Representative Kelly Morrison, a Democrat from Minnesota, who tells Glamour that research has found that new parents were already spending on average $1,000 on baby safety gear already, before the tariffs. In her mind, this is just another way that having a child in the US is made more challenging.