Eggs to 60 reais: Food inflation press Trump within the US

Egg production in the United States was harshly hit by an outbreak of aviary flu, which has wondered more than 13 million chickens since December. With dramatically reduced offer, prices fired: in December 2023, a dozen eggs cost about $ 2.50 (R $ 14.47 at the current quotation); passing a year later, in December last year, to $ 4.15 ($ 24); Arriving now, in February 2024, at $ 5.29 ($ 30) in the week that ended on January 18. Average prices that can reach double in cities where salaries are higher, as are demand.

According to data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the NIQ research group, the increase was 50% in the last year, pressing consumers at a time when the traditionally basic food became a luxury item. A report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that the price of eggs may be increased by 20% in 2025. The shortage scenario even created unusual cases, including inventory theft, extra restaurant charging and box limitation by boxes customers in supermarkets.

Eagle flight prices, not chicken

During the election campaign, Donald Trump highlighted food inflation as one of the main problems of the Biden government, promising that “on the first day” would plummers – a slogan that was marked with his famous “Drill, Baby, Drill” [perfure, meu bem, perfure]. Trump insists that the solution for food inflation is to pierce more oil in the US. However, the country is already one of the largest oil producers in the world, and energy prices are not directly linked to the cost of eggs.

In November, prices had risen to $ 3.65, and in December reached $ 4.15, before jumping to $ 5.29 in January. This scenario puts voters in shock and feeds the political debate about the effectiveness of policies adopted by the current government.

Meanwhile, Brooke Collins, nominated by Trump to head the agriculture department, promised to “immediately control” animal disease outbreaks. But so far, chickens seem not to be cooperating.

Political responsibility and promise that became an omelette

The egg crisis has become a major political problem for Trump. During the campaign, the former candidate criticized Biden for increasing food costs, claiming that higher internal oil production would reduce prices via lower energy and transportation.

However, with the avian crisis and the scarcity of chickens, egg prices have fired, contrary to promises to reduce costs. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt even blamed the Biden government, suggesting that, under its management, egg prices would have risen up to 65%.

Despite Trump’s promises to reverse price increases that have already occurred, a president’s powers are relatively limited when it comes to market forces, as many Trump’s predecessors have found to his disgust (including Joe Biden).

Meanwhile, Democratic legislators already criticize Trump for not fulfilling his commitment, accusing him of prioritizing controversial measures-such as the imposition of tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China products-instead of attacking food inflation. Economists warn that these measures can further increase the prices of other consumer goods, such as fruits and vegetables. “The rates will cost the American taxpayers expensive,” criticized Senator Chris Van Hollen. Mexico and Canada have already promised to retaliate, and China has announced that it will take the case to the World Trade Organization.

Now the Democrats are returning criticism with interest. “You promised to reduce prices on the first day, but only focused on deportations and perdons” to criminals, wrote 21 Democratic legislators in a letter to the president. Senator Elizabeth Warren was even more direct: “Eggs are more expensive, and her promises are empty than ever.”

Some of the problems in supermarkets are due to conflicts away from the American back. Ukraine, for example, is the world’s largest producer of sunflowers. Before the war with Russia, many of these seeds were pressed in oil in Russian factories and then processed in various ingredients used in various factories by the US. When Russia’s attack on Ukraine interrupted the sunflower oil market, this led to a high pressure in the prices of so many other products that few would have thought to be vulnerable to geopolitics.

Similarly, chocolate prices fired because of problems thousands of kilometers away in West Africa. Cocoa grains grow in a narrow region around the Ecuador that suffered from drought and disease in the plantations as the weather warmed, cutting profound production.

Some in the industry also have their share of responsibility, at least for the last increase in inflation that caused so much public anguish. While many large and small companies say they tried to keep prices low, some evidence suggests that there has been loan shark. Profit margins for food and beverage retailers have fired in recent years, surpassing costs, while some manufacturers have reduced product size while charging the same prices or higher prices, a phenomenon known as shrinkflation.

Repercussion and criticism in Congress

The explosion of egg prices did not go unnoticed by the authorities. New York Attorney General, Letitia James, warned of abusive prices in the face of the scarcity caused by avian flu, emphasizing that the crisis cannot be an excuse for exorbitant increases.

Consumer feeling measured by researchers at Michigan University has fallen this month to its lowest level since July, with consumers waiting for a much higher inflation next year. More than one consumer interviewed by The Wall Street Journal attributed his fears to Trump and the threat of tariffs.

In Congress, the pressure increases. Democratic legislators sign letters criticizing government actions, pointing out that instead of reducing prices, Trump retreated in his promises and focused on measures that they said, they harm the American economy, such as rates that can raise further costs consumer goods.

With an unexpected food crisis and shot egg prices, the US political scenario is complicated. While Americans struggle to pay for eggs, meat and other essential items, the president seems more focused on blaming the previous government than finding real solutions. A hard blow to the Trump government’s credibility with regard to reducing food costs.