How impending tariffs and USDA layoffs impact the horticulture industry

Trump administration and USDA

It’s been overwhelming trying to keep up with the news lately. Changes have been coming so fast and furious I keep expecting Dom Toretto to roll up in his Charger and give a speech about “family.” The Trump administration fired at least 145 USDA workers in plant protection, according to NBC News. It’s a drop in the bucket of the 6,000 USDA employees who were let go, but these people are part of our industry. Their jobs impact your jobs. Potential effects of the cuts include higher risks of pests and diseases entering the U.S., inspection delays and higher costs for importers and consumers.

And there are ripple effects to consider as well. I spoke to representatives for several states’ nursery and landscape associations, and every one said their members are concerned about “downsizing” of their customer base. What happens to the disposable income of the former federal employees? Will they still have money to spend on landscape projects or new plants to decorate their homes this spring?

Tariffs

Another factor impacting the disposable income of all Americans, not just the Department of Governmental Efficiency casualties, is the impending tariffs with Canada, Mexico and China. Many of the retail products sold in garden centers are from China. like decorative plastic pots and plastic-resin type planters. Will the consumer pay more for these goods if the IGC raises prices to account for their higher costs?

The impending tariffs with Mexico will become an issue once growers need to replace their overwintering poly film, much of which is imported. Imports and exports between nurseries and Canada are significant for many states. B&B tree growers often export finished trees into Canada, while equipment and supplies for those same growers, such as wire baskets and tree spades, are often imported from our northern neighbor. Many shrub growers import liners from Canada, and the country Conan O’Brien once called “America’s Hat” is by far the biggest supplier of peat moss – a crucial substrate element for many container growers. Some vendors are planning to absorb some of the 25% tariff, passing 17-20% on to their customers.

I hesitate to say that the dust has settled, because it seems like some new shakeup is happening every day. We’re still in the stage of figuring how these changes will affect the work you do, so shoot me an email and tell me your take.

Leading Women of Horticulture

I hope you all enjoyed our first Leading Women of Horticulture issue last month. We had more interviews with great women than we could fit in the March issue. So this month, you’ll read about Angela Labrum, Bailey Nurseries’ tissue culture lab manager, and Pat Reilly, horticultural outreach specialist with NewGen boxwood and executive director of the American Boxwood Society. Of course, there’s no reason we have to cram all the interesting women in horticulture into one month. If you keep sending me ideas for more women we should feature in the magazine, I’ll keep shining a spotlight on them.