Governor Whitmer Highlights Impacts of Tariffs on Michigan Families During Back-to-School Season

Amid tariff-driven price increases, more families are struggling to buy books, shoes, backpacks, and more

LANSING, MI - On July 29, 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer highlighted the impacts of tariffs on Michigan families as they get ready for the upcoming school year. As tariff-driven inflation skyrockets, major back-to-school retailers such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and Costco have announced they will continue to increase their prices, taking more money out of hardworking, middle-class Americans’ wallets. 

“Michigan families are already facing high costs, and these tariffs are making it even harder for them to afford essential school supplies,” said Governor Whitmer. “Prices for shoes, water bottles, clothes, pencils, juice boxes, laptops, and other necessities are rising, making back-to-school shopping more expensive than ever and making it harder for parents and educators to supply kids with the tools they need to succeed. I will continue to work with anyone to lower costs, put more money in working families’ pockets, and protect Michigan's families from these harmful tariffs.” 

“As we approach the new school year, it's disheartening to see tariffs driving up the cost of essential supplies for our students,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Parents and educators are now facing higher prices for everyday items. Governor Whitmer and I will keep working with anyone to lower costs and ensure every child in Michigan can focus on what matters: learning and growing.” 

Key figures show how tariffs are impacting educators and parents as they prepare for school:

• Roughly 20% of back-to-school shoppers said buying supplies for the new year is straining their budgets, according to a new report by Bankrate.

• A separate report by Intuit Credit Karma found that 39% of parents said they can’t afford back-to-school shopping this year, and 56% are cutting back on nonessential purchases altogether to save money.

• According to a report by Deloitte, 52% of parents say they are anxious about the potential for higher prices on back-to-school items and plan to cut back on other expenses, such as dining out and entertainment, to make room in their budgets for back-to-school items.

• Back-to-school prices are set to rise 12-15% as tariffs hit school supplies. 

• Paper prices have jumped up 120% and are predicted to rise as high as 200%. 

• The Consumer Technology Association expects laptop and table prices to jump by 46% to 68%. 

• 55% of respondents expect their average retail price to rise between 6%-10% in 2025 due to tariffs. 

• Warehouse inventory levels are down 6% month over month, leading to less inventory for the back-to-school season. 

• There are more empty shipping containers sitting in the U.S., contributing to inventory shortages. 

• Walmart and Target said they plan to hike prices, while Best Buy said they already have. 

• Bright Data, tracking prices of 230 items for NBC News, found that about 29% of them saw price hikes, with an average increase of nearly 6%. 

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index, pencils and backpacks are up 2.9% and 4.1% year-over-year since 2024, respectively. 

• Prices of three popular stainless-steel water bottles by Hydro Flask, Stanley, and Owala are increasing at Amazon and Walmart, likely due to the 25% tariff on global steel. 

• Smartphones saw a sharp price spike, increasing by an average of 15% at Best Buy. 

• Of the six clothing items NBC News is tracking at Walmart, four saw price hikes, together rising by an average of more than 57% over the past month. 

• K-12 construction vendors may need to raise project prices by 6 to 8 percent. 

• The nation’s largest school bus manufacturer is raising prices at least 4 percent across all products because of tariffs. 

Governor Whitmer reiterated her commitment to fighting for Michigan's working families and ensuring that every child has the resources they need for a successful school year. 

Education Accomplishments

Governor Whitmer has made historic investments in students, educators, and schools. She has signed over 1,350 bipartisan bills, including measures to extend free school lunch and breakfast to all 1.4 million public school students in Michigan and implement proven science of reading standards. She closed the school funding gap, ensuring every school district has the same baseline funding, and tripled the amount of literacy coaches in schools. Additionally, she has expanded access to free pre-K and community college, ensuring that every Michigander has the opportunity for a quality education from pre-K to 12th grade.