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NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump鈥檚 doubling of tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum could hit Americans in an unexpected place: grocery aisles.

The announcement Friday of a staggering 50% levy on those imports stoked fear that big-ticket purchases from cars to washing machines to houses could see major price increases. But those metals are so ubiquitous in packaging, they鈥檙e likely to pack a punch across consumer products from soup to nuts.

鈥淩ising grocery prices would be part of the ripple effects,鈥� says Usha Haley, an expert on trade and professor at Wichita State University, who added that the tariffs could raise costs across industries and further strain ties with allies 鈥渨ithout aiding a long-term U.S. manufacturing revival.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 return to the White House has come with an unrivaled barrage of tariffs, with levies threatened, added and, often, taken away, in such a whiplash-inducing frenzy it鈥檚 hard to keep up. He insisted the latest tariff hike was necessary to 鈥渆ven further secure the steel industry in the U.S.鈥�

That promise, though, could be at odds with his pledge to reduce food costs.

Rising grocery prices, Trump has said, his way. A look around a supermarket makes clear how many products could be impacted by new taxes on steel and aluminum, from beer and soda to dog food to can after can of beans, fruit, tomato paste and more.

鈥淚t plays into the hands of China and other foreign canned food producers, which are more than happy to undercut American farmers and food producers,鈥� insists Can Manufacturers Institute president Robert Budway. 鈥淒oubling the steel tariff will further increase the cost of canned goods at the grocery store.鈥�

Budway says production by domestic tin mill steel producers, whose products are used in cans, have dramatically decreased in recent years, making manufacturers reliant on imported materials. When those prices go up, he says, 鈥渢he cost is levied upon millions of American families.鈥�

Food companies were already warily assessing the administration鈥檚 tariffs before the latest hike, which Trump said would go into effect on Wednesday. The Campbell Co., whose soup cans are a staple for millions of Americans, has said it was working to mitigate the impact of tariffs but may be forced to raise prices. ConAgra Brands, which puts everything from cans of Reddi-Whip to cooking sprays like Pam on supermarket shelves, likewise has pointed to the impact steel and aluminum tariffs have.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 get all of our materials from the US because there鈥檚 no supply,鈥� ConAgra CFO David Marberger said at a recent Goldman Sachs conference on global staples.

Beyond the obvious products 鈥� canned foods like tuna, chicken broth and cranberry sauce 鈥� economists warn of a spillover effect that tariffs can have on a gamut of items. If the cost to build a store or buy a truck to haul food rise, the prices of products may follow.

Most Americans will never buy a tractor, but Babak Hafezi, who runs a global consulting firm and teaches international business at American University, says a price spike in such a big-ticket item vital to food production will spill down to all sorts of other items.

鈥淚f a John Deere tractor costs 25% more, consumers pay the price for that,鈥� Hafezi says. 鈥淭his trickles down the economy and impacts every aspect of the economy. Some of the trickling is immediate and others are slower to manifest themselves. But yes, prices will increase and choices will decrease.鈥�

Trump appeared before a crowd of cheering steelworkers to unveil the new tariffs at a rally outside Pittsburgh. In a statement, David McCall, president of the United Steelworkers International union, called tariffs 鈥渁 valuable tool in balancing the scales鈥� but 鈥渨ider reforms of our global trading system” are needed.

It may be harder to gauge the weight of tariffs on, say, a can of chickpeas versus that of a new car, but consumers are likely to see myriad indirect costs from the levies, says Andreas Waldkirch, an economics professor at Colby College who teaches a class on international trade.

鈥淎nybody who鈥檚 directly connected to the steel industry, they鈥檙e going to benefit. It鈥檚 just coming at a very high cost,鈥� Waldkirch says. 鈥淵ou may get a few more steel jobs. But all these indirect costs mean you then destroy jobs elsewhere. If you were to add that all in, you come up with a pretty large negative loss.鈥�

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Matt Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and