Tampa Bay Times: Tampa Bay and Florida businesses expect tariffs to drive prices up

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and other countries are beginning to push up prices and depress demand in spots around the Tampa Bay area and Florida, business executives say.

“We’ve definitely seen that the tariffs have increased the prices on steel,” said Chris Bush, an owner at Titan Metal Service in Tampa.

Since last year, the cost of steel, both imported and domestic, has risen from 48 cents to around 60 cents a pound as Trump has pushed new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Steel produced in the United States might even be a little higher than that, Bush said.

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