Almost no food The United States has more than Apple Pie, but the truth is that some of the country’s favorite Apple products aren’t actually made in the United States. Apple juice is a perfect example of this. The vast majority of apple juice American drinks are imported from countries such as China, and the Trump administration’s carnival time tariff policy is now reshaping the market, which may make beloved plaster drinks more expensive or harder to find.
Christopher Gerlach, an executive of the American Apple Association, a trading group representing the domestic apple industry, told Wired: “The price of juice is already rising.” Gerlach estimates that the wholesale cost of apple juice concentrate has risen by 33% this year compared to 2024, and he hopes it will continue to rise. The higher costs not only affect regular apple juice, as concentrates are a key element in a variety of other juice mixtures, such as mixed berries and pears, and are also used as a sweetener for a variety of children’s products, including baby foods.
The Trump administration’s trade protectionist policies have caused the entire global trade system to overturn the entire global trade system. But by far, the biggest influence is the impact on Chinese imports, now facing a new 145% tariff. The measure has boosted consumer prices and disrupted the supply chain of products from baby gear to Christmas decorations to sex toys. While agricultural products represent a relatively small portion of China’s exports to the United States, certain types of food and beverages come from the country, such as garlic, seafood and yes, apple juice. Although apples are not usually related to China, in the 1980s, farmers began investing more in crops because they were looking for ways to diversify their income, according to the USDA.
The United States has a large number of domestic apple farms, but the industry focuses on selling fresh fruits that are often more profitable. Gerlach said that the U.S. exports about 16 million gallons of apple juice each year, but imports 430 million gallons. China has been the main place for the United States to source apple juice for years, but Türkiye has recently become a close contender. According to Gerlach, it represents 39% of apple juice imports last year, while China accounts for 31%.
USDA data suggests Trump’s tariffs have triggered a bigger shift in the U.S. toward buying concentrates of apple juice from Türkiye. Americans have imported about 92 million liters of unfueled apple juice from China so far this year, while Türkiye has 29 million liters. In January, China saw a significant surge in juice purchases as importers made purchases before tariffs took effect. Now, Türkiye’s sales have plummeted. During the week of April 25, Türkiye exported more than twice the amount of apple juice, twice the amount in mainland China.
