Will tariffs affect the price of cat food?

If you’re worried about tariffs affecting the price of the food you buy for your cats, you are not alone.

A survey of pet owners in March 2025 revealed that 28% of pet parents are worried about being able to afford things for their pets, and 52% are concerned that tariffs will make owning a pet more expensive.[1]

There is anecdotal evidence that the price of cat food is already going up due to the new tariffs. The owner of a pet store in Colorado was recently interviewed by Denver’s Fox 31 News about the rising cost of food and pet supplies (and even the price of shopping bags), all of which he said he will have to pass on to customers. “We really can’t even eat 10% without going out of business,” he said.[2]

Tariff rates seems to be changing daily, and without a working crystal ball, it is hard to know exactly what the future holds. The purpose of this blog is to just explain how the current state of tariffs could affect the price of pet food in the U.S.

What are tariffs?

A tariff is basically a tax that is applied to goods as they are imported into a country.

Governments use tariffs for a variety of reasons. Tariffs can be used to raise revenue for the government, to protect a domestic industry from foreign competition, or to even out the playing field in a situation of unfair trade practices. Tariffs can also be retaliatory, a way of punishing another country for some action.

Who pays for tariffs?

While it might seem like tariffs punish foreign producers, the reality is that consumers (that’s you) get stuck with the bill. The added expense of a tariff just gets passed down to you in the form of higher prices.

Tariffs can affect prices in indirect ways, too. If imported goods are too expensive, and domestic manufacturers can’t meet demand, tariffs create supply shortages. Shortages, in turn, cause prices to go up.

And finally, both domestic and foreign companies may be forced to pass on the increase in operating costs associated with establishing new supply chains or changing production locations. That’s in addition to the tariffs themselves.

How do tariffs impact the cost of cat food?

Most cat food sold in the United States relies on global supply chains for everything: cat food ingredients and packaging, and even the equipment used to make cat food.

Cat-food packaging is impacted by tariffs

The cans that many cat foods come in are made of a product called tinplate steel, which is a thin layer of steel coated with tin.

Tinplate steel is not just used in cat food cans – tinplate steel is used in packaging for human foods and other household products, in large part because it’s very resistant to corrosion.

Approximately 25.1 billion cans are manufactured each year, and most of those (83%) are cans for human and pet food.[4]

What is the problem with the tinplate steel market?

The problem is that the U.S. no longer manufactures enough tinplate steel, or the right kind of tinplate steel, to meet demand; it must be imported. In 2022, for example, 62% of tinplate steel was imported.[5]

Why doesn’t the U.S. just build more factories?

You would think that U.S. manufacturers would be falling all over themselves to build tinplate steel factories here. But steel manufacturers in the U.S. have not been making capital investments in new factories for very good reasons.

Most U.S. manufacturers view the market for tinplate steel as relatively small and shrinking. Domestic manufacturers are actually closing existing mills rather than putting more money into them. Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute, told Fastmarkets, “It’s not a large segment to invest in.”[6]

Cat food requires the highest quality cans

Canned cat food requires the best quality tinplate steel to prevent leaks, rust, and corrosion, which would affect food safety.[7]

High quality tinplate steel is actually very complicated to produce. Foreign manufacturers are able to manufacture high quality tinplate steel in the variety of thicknesses and widths that the market demands.

Consequently, can manufacturers have been forced to buy their tinplate steel overseas because the quality of what is available in the United States doesn’t meet their standards.

The problem with tariffs on tinplate steel

The problem with tariffs on imported tinplate steel is that U.S. manufacturers simply can’t meet demand or produce the kind of material that can manufacturers need. All these tariffs do, aside from causing an immediate increase in food prices, is force food companies to find other packaging solutions.

But they are not going to bring more tinplate steel manufacturing back to the U.S.

Cat-food ingredients are impacted by tariffs

You may think you are buying cat food that is produced in one country, when in fact, it may be produced, in whole or in part, in another country, or in several other countries. In a time of rising tariffs, it matters exactly where all the ingredients for your cat food come from.

Some cat-food ingredients are made in the USA, while others are imported

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the non-profit organization that guides government regulators on pet food and labeling standards, many pet-food ingredients do originate in the United States and Canada (tariffs on Canadian imports of pet food are temporarily paused as of this writing, but may be reinstated at any moment).

Exceptions include lamb/sheep meat, which often comes from New Zealand, and fish and fish meal. Fruit and tapioca are typically imported, as are vitamins, minerals, and other food additives.[8]

That last bit is important for cat guardians. The amino acid taurine is essential for cat health and is almost exclusively sourced from China. A very small percentage of taurine also comes from Japan.[9]

Why can’t I just buy cat food that is made in the USA?

If only it were that simple…

“Made in the USA” doesn’t necessarily mean a pet food was made in the USA

The Federal Trade Commission oversees labeling for products and the term “Made in the USA” doesn’t mean that all ingredients in a pet food were grown, raised, or harvested in the United States.

“Made in the USA” only means that the processing and final assembly of the cat food happened in the U.S. The ingredients that go into this food could be sourced elsewhere, and thus subject to tariffs.

Another related phrase, “Made in America,” means that a pet food was made in any of the Americas, including Central America and South America. If a cat food was made in Mexico, it could still be labeled “Made in America” and subject to tariffs.

And, “Sourced in the USA” means that just some portion of the ingredients come from the United States. A product that says “Sourced in the USA” is likely processed and turned into cat food in another country.[10] A tariff would be levied when the final product is imported back into the U.S. for you to buy.

And finally, just because a pet-food company has "Made in the USA" or "Made in America" on its product packaging, doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority over pet food in the United States. While the FDA performs occasional inspections of some facilities to ensure compliance with food safety laws, it does not enforce all laws, including some labeling laws.

Some cat food manufacturers use middlemen to hide where they source ingredients

Not all pet-food companies are honest about where their ingredients come from.

The website, truthaboutpetfood.com, follows the paper trail of import records for pet-food ingredients. Many import records show some unlikely importers of pet-food ingredients.

One record shared by truthaboutpetfood.com shows the bank, J.P. Morgan, importing water buffalo body parts from India. J.P. Morgan does not manufacture pet food.

So, what’s this all about? Some pet-food companies presumably employ middlemen, like J.P. Morgan, to act as the importer of record. This allows the pet-food company to hide the fact that they are importing some ingredients from China and other countries.[11]

But this does not stop the levying of tariffs, which will ultimately be factored into the cost of buying cat food for you.

But prices haven't really gone up at my store

At the time of this writing, the market for cat food appears relatively stable.

This is probably due to some early stockpiling by distributors who anticipated the tariffs. One estimate is that U.S. distributors placed orders covering three to six months of supply.

But the second half of the year may be a different story, unless our government decides to withdraw some of these tariffs.

What can I do to manage costs as cat-food prices go up?

A Rover survey of 1,000 pet parents showed that 25% of pet guardians have already begun switching to more affordable pet-food brands.

34% of respondents admitted that pet spending is one of the last places that they would cut if their budget was tight, and 33% said they have already reduced spending in other categories, including groceries for themselves![12]

I am not advocating for cat guardians to skimp on their own groceries so their cat does not have to go without. I encourage you to change pet-food brands to something less expensive if, and when, it becomes necessary.

If you need more help than that, contact your local food pantry as many will also provide pet food, or your local shelter, as some have surplus food they can donate.

This page on Petfinder.com can help you locate cat-food resources:

Pet Help Finder

Unfortunately, there aren’t any magic solutions to this terrible problem.

The main goal is to continue feeding your cat whatever cat food is available and to avoid relinquishing your cat to a shelter if at all possible. Shelters are already overfull, and only a small percentage of cats are ultimately adopted. Most are euthanized.

If you decide to try a new cat food, be sure to transition slowly to prevent gastrointestinal upset for your cat. I explain how manage the switch from one food type to another in this post (it’s about halfway down the post).

And finally, if you’re so inclined, call your representatives in government to let them know how tariffs are affecting you and your family.

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Dawn LaFontaine

Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.