This Halloween, tariffs are scaring away consumers as high prices haunt costume and candy aisles nationwide. With nearly 90% of Halloween merchandise containing at least one imported component, Americans are expected to spend a record $114.45 per person, almost $11 more than last year, due to increased prices, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

“Our economic system is failing us as people,” said Tallulah Schorvitz, a junior VMA major at Emerson, pointing to the effects of Trump’s tariff economy ahead of the holiday.

In April, President Donald Trump increased U.S. tariffs on most Chinese goods from approximately 20% to 145%. The raise prompted the Halloween and Costume Association to issue a press release outlining the consequences of the increase. They highlighted how some retailers were canceling their orders and, more notably, production orders were halted as importers decided it would be too costly to sell in the U.S. Soon after that, the tariffs were reduced to 30% in May, but according to the association, the damage had already been done. 

When production in China resumed, the stoppage caused a delay and shortage of items for the season, causing some warehouses to pay upwards of $800,000 in tariff costs, according to Chris Zephro, the owner of Trick or Trick Studios. The warehouse, located in Santa Cruz, Calif., produces and imports goods that are sold to more than 10,000 retailers around the world. 

This has affected smaller businesses here in Massachusetts. Kevin Lyance, owner of Wolf Moon, a Halloween decoration, jewelry, and body care shop in Salem, Mass., says the tariffs have affected business owners in downtown Salem, with the majority of their earnings declining. 

“We’re having the same amount of foot traffic, but number-wise … people are seeing as much as 14% down,” he said. “For the most part, every business [here] is a couple of grand off this year.”

In response to the increase in prices for both retailers and consumers this Halloween season, the Trump administration told reporters that these tariffs are necessary for U.S. success. 

“Real prosperity is good jobs, booming industry, and thriving communities for everyday Americans—not cheap Chinese imports,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai to Newsweek.

However, some reports suggest that added expenses also stem from higher import fees on fabrics, accessories, and assembled items. Now, Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, up from $11.6 billion last year. Still, with Halloween falling on a Friday, many want to go all out dressing and decorating, but have found themselves frightened by the prices and fewer options to choose from.

Ashley Chester, a mother of two young children from Dracut, Mass., said they invested more money into her children’s costumes this year, buying cheaper items for herself and her partner. 

Alyssa Carsanaro from Methuen, Mass., echoed this, saying, “When I was looking for our costumes, there were way more choices for some costumes, but then other costumes that were not as popular [had] no options.” 

Lyance said that less options on the floor are available because of fewer options in sourcing, which is why consumers will face less variety this spooky season. In his store, he has had to limit the availability of items and raw materials.

“There are less options available to me, just based on wholesale prices,” Lyance said. “Certain businesses that distribute the [body care] bottles either decided to pause their transactions completely or raised their prices and continued.”

Another scare for trick-or-treaters this year could be candy selection. Cocoa prices have more than doubled since early 2024 as a result of the heavy rain, droughts, and crop disease in West Africa, which supplies 70% of the world’s cocoa, according to the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute’s latest analysis. While some companies are increasing prices, others are reducing portion sizes.

Madeleine Brason, owner of Madeleine’s Candy Shop, which opened in February in the South End, noted the increase. 

“Hershey’s prices are sort of obscene,” she told The Beacon. “It’s like over six dollars a pound, way over at wholesale price… and I’m not buying that.”  

Brason also has to deal with tariffs herself, and as a new business, she says it’s a delicate balance that has affected her pricing model. 

“You learn really fast when you’re getting a $4,000 bill in the mail for no reason,” she explained.

For some business owners, like Rob Fitzs of the Magic Parlor in Salem, the tariffs are only having a slight effect. Fitzs said that some of the store’s masks are produced in Mexico, and this is where the pinch has been felt the hardest.

“But as far as prices go, we’ve gotten everything we need to get, and the prices haven’t been affected too badly,” he said. 

Jokers Wild, a costume business in Danvers, Mass., is having a similar experience this year. But, according to Savannah Markland, an employee at the establishment, their secret as a year-round costume store is buying Halloween items in January, as they have been open year-round for 52 years. 

“We technically will buy things in advance when we notice that certain things have gone up [in price],” said Markland, though she added that, “there are definitely things that we decided not to order because it would go up too high in price.” 

China reacted to these tariffs at the beginning of this month, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping requiring companies in China to get government approval before shipping critical rare earth metals abroad. In response, Trump threatened this month to add a further 100% tariff on China. 

However, things changed after the two met at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this past week. Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, told CBS that he “would expect that the threat of the 100% has gone away.” The deadline for the current rate to expire is Nov. 10, after Trump signed an executive order in August granting a new 90-day extension. Now both parties say a trade deal could be on the way, with Trump expected to meet with Xi during his trip through Asia on Oct. 30.

With Halloween falling on the day after the discussion between the two leaders, consumers have already been hit with the effects of the trade war tariffs. This year, the holiday is an investment for buyers who now must find resourceful and more economical ways of participating. 

“When it comes to costumes, [we have], to figure out cheaper ways to do things,” Chester said.