# Are we (in the US) going to end up with empty shelves and much higher prices in May? What should we do to prepare **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [April 26, 2025, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518 "2025-04-26T01:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/141 "2025-05-13T16:15:38Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But at some point, Google stopped providing updates I mentioned we replaced because of the batteries, but this was also another factor. We were not receiving updates and it was time to move on. We miss our first Pixel phones. They were a bit smaller and fit in pockets and other things better. Neither of us “live” on our phone so screen size isn’t as important. I think when we replaced with the 6a, they were the smallest phone available. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/142 "2025-05-13T16:21:58Z")
I do love on my phone. But I’m nearsighted, and neither my pockets nor my hands are huge. I shop for smaller phones. The pixel 5 was noticeably nicer to hold than the 9. Phones are too big. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/143 "2025-05-13T16:24:52Z")
That’s how I know I’m getting old because I agree! AARP is coming knocking… 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/144 "2025-05-15T14:45:00Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > One thing I noticed was that pork products were heavily discounted (some hams were nearly 75% off). I noticed this too, although I was puzzled as to why. For some reason, whole chickens were heavily discounted too. I picked up a few 6 pounders for around 5 bucks each. Now the freezer is stuffed with ribs, shoulders, and chickens - all destined for the smoker this summer. For some reason, anytime a politician utters the word “tariff” tire prices shoot up. When the Oblate Spheroid began the “random tariff of the day” routine, I started shopping for replacements. Snagged new truck tires at about the same cost as before, but trailer tires seemed to vary a lot. I watched the same set go from $1000 to $1400, and grabbed them two days ago when they were back down to $1100. No idea whether this was the right move, but I needed them anyway. FTR: all 4 have a date code of 1125, so they weren’t languishing in a warehouse and are recent builds. As to the OPs question: “what should we do to prepare?” I don’t really know. Since I have little insight as to what shortages _could_ happen, I just try to amass a coherent set of all the inputs to my household (fuel, power, water, food, paper products, meds, money, etc.). I’ve tried to come up with the normal usage of all the above and see how far ahead I can get, with a goal of X weeks with zero external resupply. I figure that way most of the possible shortages are covered, and I won’t end up with something goofy like 2 years supply of beans and a week’s worth of toilet paper. Wish I knew exactly how to answer that question, but all I can do is (hopefully) reasonable guesses. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/145 "2025-05-15T21:11:58Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > As to the OPs question: “what should we do to prepare?” I don’t really know. Since I have little insight as to what shortages _could_ happen All my wife did was buy two more bottles of maple syrup. It seems like the big furor has died down with the recent deals. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/146 "2025-05-15T22:34:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > big furor has died down with the recent deals. There have been no deals, just discussions and agreements. And an absolute, irrefutable reversal of the core administration economic policy … while still leaving the US with an onerous protection wall but insufficient to incentivise onshoring of manufacturing and generating insufficient revenue to compensate those impacted … and the kinks in the supply chain still to be worked through. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/147 "2025-05-15T22:40:25Z")
I’m ridiculously skeptical that this was ever the actual goal. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/148 "2025-05-15T23:46:50Z")
I’m ridiculously skeptical that this was ever 4D chess. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/149 "2025-05-16T00:21:17Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > There have been no deals, just discussions and agreements. UK- > **[What the U.K. Deal Reveals About Trump’s Trade Strategy](https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/05/uk-trade-deal-trump/682787/)** > > The United States is settling for a tiny fraction of what it could have achieved through traditional free-trade agreements. China= [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/13/china-united-states-trade-deal-winner/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/13/china-united-states-trade-deal-winner/) > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > and the kinks in the supply chain still to be worked through. True. > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > I’m ridiculously skeptical that this was ever 4D chess. The others were playing chess, he was playing checkers. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/150 "2025-05-16T00:52:47Z")
There is a document that somebody has signed? Or just a discussion that “we agree to do this and you will do that” at some point in the future, but should 45/47 gets an impulse the whole thing could be changed in 24 hours? Trade deals take years to negotiate because its the fine details that matters 45/47 cares only for the headline. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/151 "2025-05-16T01:07:35Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > There is a document that somebody has signed? None of these tariffs have been anything but Executive Orders. No Senate treaties were involed- except as trump violated them. > [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Trade deals take years to negotiate because its the fine details that matters 45/47 cares only for the headline. How long did trump muse on his tariff EOs? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/152 "2025-05-16T01:18:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > None of these tariffs have been anything but Executive Orders. True, but if these were “deals”, I wasn’t aware that POTUS’s EOs were binding on other sovereign states. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/153 "2025-05-16T19:49:25Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > True, but if these were “deals”, I wasn’t aware that POTUS’s EOs were binding on other sovereign states. The UK and China accepted the deals in fact the deals are mostly their input. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518/154 "2025-05-16T22:18:04Z")
FWIW, I made an ordering mistake on a large ($12K) order that delayed us 3 weeks. The single best financial move I’ve ever made. Instead of the order costing $30K ($12K \* 245%), it will cost us $18K ($12K \*130%). That’s $6K extra profit for my partner and me each. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-us-going-to-end-up-with-empty-shelves-and-much-higher-prices-in-may-what-should-we-do-to-prepare/1017518.md?page=7)