With Halloween occurring today, time is running out to purchase candy, costumes, pumpkins, and decorations to celebrate the holiday. Yet no matter how spooky the season may seem, the real horror of October is the effect of tariffs on basic Halloween essentials.
When President Donald Trump was elected to office, he implemented tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) on foreign trade options. Trump has also imposed Section 232 tariffs on things such as steel and aluminum. This has caused constrictions on trading with China, Canada, and Mexico, and raised taxes for every US household by approximately $2,000 in 2026.
Pembroke Pines Charter High School senior Adella Cooper explains how the tariffs have affected her as a student. “As a student worker, I feel like having less money is not great, and Trump’s economic tyranny has made me even poorer, which makes me sad. But I’m still going to buy stuff [for Halloween], so hopefully this recession is over soon.
A program called Dataweave analyzes stock-keeping units and has reported a substantial increase in prices of typically inexpensive Halloween materials. To demonstrate, Pumpkin Masters, who are well known for their pumpkin carving tools and booklets, have experienced a large increase in price of about 300% from October 2025 to the same time in 2026.
With multiple products from different brands being created in foreign nations, especially China, distributors and popular companies like Pumpkin Masters have felt the cost of Trump’s tariffs. They are paying up to 59.6% in taxes, which is over half the value of the actual products.
The CEO of Signature Brands, Joe Ens, owns many popular companies like Pumpkin Masters, Cake Mate, and Gift Pop. A few of his connecting brands are manufactured in Florida; however, his Halloween-associated products are 100% produced in China. With that, Ens, along with other businesses, had no alternative but to raise the prices of their products to maintain adequate revenue.
These price increases have disrupted the Halloween spirit, forcing people to change their usual plans. Pembroke Pines Charter High School senior Hannah Ikner shares, “This year, I had to find very cheap costume stuff. For example, I had to sew my skirt because I couldn’t afford the ladybug costume I wanted. So, I had to go with things lying around the house.” Additionally, Ikner’s father is a government worker, and with the government shutdown in place, her family is feeling the effects.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, retailers have already begun preparing to face potential changes in the market. With Halloween-inspired companies taking a hit, Trump’s tariffs are expected to have a decent impact on production and revenue, affecting consumers and producers as a whole.
