School supply shopping has always been a wallet-drainer, but thanks to Trump’s shiny new tariffs, it’s now a full-blown financial endurance test. A 15% tariff slapped on imports from the EU, Japan, and South Korea—and up to 20% on goods from Taiwan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh—means even your kid’s cheap backpack is suddenly a luxury item.
Texas Tech economics chair Rashid Al-Hmoud confirmed the obvious: when you tax the stuff people need, people pay more. He pointed out that tariffs don’t just hit flashy imports, but the basics too—pencils, index cards, pillows, even the aluminum in that overpriced dorm mini-fridge. Families are already reporting they’re spending 7.3% more this year compared to last. Average tariffs on school supplies jumped from 5% to 18%. Translation: that cute Lisa Frank binder is now basically a Gucci accessory.
So while politicians brag about “tough trade policy,” Lubbock parents just get to play “Which kid actually gets a new backpack this year?” Spoiler: the answer is whichever one can whine the loudest in Walmart.
Remember when back-to-school shopping was just stressful? Now it’s an economics lesson your kid didn’t ask for.
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/tariffs-impact-school-supplies/
