Donald Trump’s Tariffs About to Make Lobster Rolls $50.
United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs have caused an unforeseen casualty: your favorite seafood restaurant. Multiple reports from around Boston say that the price of Lobster Rolls are looking like they could be $50 this summer.
NBC Boston clarifies that the beloved meat used to sell for around $5 per pound back in 2010’s seafood markets. But, now, because of operating costs, everything is on the table. Some business owners don’t want to pass the budget struggles on though. It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out in different corners of the country.
Previously, National Fishermen reported that tariffs are poised to do a number on the lobster trade in Maine. If you’re wondering why lobsters are affected by tariffs, let us explain. Senator Angus King has been pushing legislation with Susan Collins to lessen the impact of these tariffs on Canada. A lot of the lobsters caught up in Maine are sent to Canada for processing and distribution. Without the open lines of communication between these two poles, rising prices are on the menu with a side of butter.
Collins told WMTW up north, “From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers, and lobstermen, the tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies.”
Boston seafood restaurants do their best to push back on lobster prices
Over in Boston, multiple restaurants have a lobster roll as one of their signature dishes on the menu. So, what do you do when an essential ingredient becomes worth more than $50? For a lot of those restaurateurs, they’re adopting a customer first stance. They’re not going over $50, but they’re getting darn close. Jeremy Sewall of Row 34 told The Boston Globe that it’s a delicate dance. He’s not going to raise the prices just because he can. But, they’re feeling the crunch for sure over there.
“I can’t really charge you $100 for a lobster roll, even though, over the last two weeks, maybe I should be charging $70 or $80,” Sewall revealed. “There is a ceiling. When you get over 50 bucks, I have a little twinge of guilt that we’re charging so much for food, even though it’s the correct price.”
Uncharted waters with the tariffs
To navigate the new, every restaurant owner is going to have to make a hard decision. Martha Stewart’s restaurant Foxwoods Resort Casino is opting not to include lobster roll on the menu. The Bedford reflects a lot of the local cuisine and stresses using ingredients from the community whenever possible. Just don’t show up looking for a lobster and you won’t be disappointed.
“This winter was cruel to the lobsters, and I just read that lobster rolls might be up to $60,” Stewart told the Globe. “So I don’t think we’ll be having them at The Bedford.”
As so many people have hinted, we’re in an uncertain world as it relates to The economy and beyond. We’re in the midst of a liberal war with Iran. The tariffs are still wreaking havoc here in the United States. Over half the country has rising gas prices to go along with their grocery bills expanding by the day.. And now you can’t even go get a lobster roll to try and take your mind off of whatever is going on in your personal life.
(featured image: Wikimedia Commons)
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