Before the first kitchen timer goes off, international trade duties have already driven up the cost of your holiday dinner. Between a historic shortage in American cattle herds raising beef prices sky-high, tariffs on tinplate steel inflating the price of canned goods, and foreign trade duties hitting European cheeses, wines, and sweets, hosting a holiday meal in 2026 can feel like walking a tightrope. I’ve been seeing these price hikes firsthand while shopping, and it’s definitely made me rethink a few of my usual grocery picks.

And while we can’t control international trade policies, we can outsmart them at the grocery store!

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