Tariffs already tacked billions on food and clothing costs. These items saw the biggest hikes

Tariffs on food and clothing imported into the U.S. soared in May and June, a recent analysis of effective rates found.

For the two-month period, the average tariff rate on food increased to 7%, totaling $1.9 billion, according to estimates from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That's up from 2% a year earlier, the corporate lobbying group said.

Average tariff rates on imported clothing, meanwhile, exceeded 25%, compared to 14% last year. The group found that clothing also brought in about $1.9 billion in tariff revenue during the two months this year.

Meat, coffee and tea, fish, and beverages and spirits saw the largest hikes in import taxes in May and June.

Leading the charge, meat accrued $266.16 million in the two months with an average tax rate of nearly 11%, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; for the same months in 2024, the average tax rate was almost 2%.

Coffee and tea came in at $245.5 million with about an 8% average tax rate. A year earlier, it was less than 0.30%. Fish came in at $226.5 million with about a 6% average rate, while beverages and spirits accrued $216.6 million with a nearly 5% rate. 

Citing "limitations in the data," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned that its figures likely understate the full "tariff revenue collected and the effective tariff rate."

On Thursday, new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the U.S. farm trade deficit reached a record high in the first half of the year. A day earlier, a coalition of nearly 60 U.S. alcohol industry associations sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to exclude spirits and wine from E.U. tariffs.

Trump’s latest tariffs took effect for nearly 70 countries last week, with some countries facing rates as high as 50%. A July analysis from the Tax Foundation, a business-friendly think tank, predicted that August tariffs will drive food-staple costs even higher.

Beyond food, tariffs have had a greater impact on footwear compared to apparel. For May and June, footwear had an average tariff rate of about 26%. Last year, it was about 12%. Knit apparel has a rate of 25% while non-knit clothing had a rate of 24%. Last year, both were around 14%.

Back-to-school items also saw a big impact during the two months. Normal school items faced an average tariff rate of 18%, compared to 5% during the same time period last year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said. This comes as parents are pulling back on shopping for the new school year. 

Companies initially absorbed most tariff-related costs, the analysis said, but moving forward more will fall on consumers. An analysis from Goldman Sachs reported by Bloomberg Monday expects consumers to take on 67% of tariff costs.