- Costco customers are waiting in long lines and panic-buying eggs because of Trump’s new tariffs on imported goods. That’s on top of an already short supply of eggs because of an outbreak of avian flu.
The current egg situation in America is anything but over easy. Amid the Trump administration’s announcement about tariffs on the U.S.’s three largest trading partners, customers have flocked to grocery stores and large retailers to scoop up necessities like eggs before the import duties hatch on Tuesday and drive up prices. (On Monday, though, Trump promptly delayed tariffs on Mexico by a month.)
The panic-buying is more complex because of a recent outbreak of avian flu, which has limited egg supply and subsequently increased prices. Between November and December, egg prices increased 8.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The United States Department of Agriculture reports the avian flu has infected nearly 23 million chickens across the U.S., causing a nationwide shortage of eggs.
Even buyers trying to catch a deal on eggs by purchasing in bulk from Costco were shocked to see the prices—and charged demand—at the store. TikTok videos and Reddit posts show swaths of Costco customers waiting in long lines to buy eggs; cracked eggs oozing across aisle floors; and even people reselling eggs on Facebook Marketplace at a markup. The current price of two dozen eggs from Costco at a location in Los Angeles is $7.69, while other customers report some locations are double that cost.
“People are going crazy for eggs at Costco,” one TikTok user posted. “If you want to get eggs from Costco, get there before it opens. I got here at 9 a.m. The line just keeps getting longer.”
@sylvialand82 I got to Costco at 9:00 AM. The line just kept getting longer. #costco #costcoeggs #eggs #huevos ♬ TRR TAC TAC - De Parranda & Los Morales
Another video shows customers lined up outside Costco, how many cases of eggs the store opened with, and dozens of customers grabbing multiple cases of eggs.
@gabbsterita #costco #eggs #eggcraze ♬ Super Mario 64 Slider Racing Song - namasty.woman
And another shows eggs splattered across Costco’s floor after the purchasing craze with the caption: “America, are we OK??”
@m.yelenaa 😭 #costco #costcoeggs #fyp #eggs #parati ♬ Chrissy, Wake Up - The Gregory Brothers
Costco didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment on customers’ egg-buying frenzy.
For customers who couldn’t get eggs from Costco or elsewhere, they’re turning to Facebook Marketplace of all places to get their omelet fix—even for double the price, according to a Reddit forum. However, Meta’s policies prohibit the sale of animal products including raw fish, meat, or eggs. Farmers and other Facebook users have found ways around Meta’s rule by not including the word “egg” in the description and just the word “carton.”
As a result of Trump’s trade war with Mexico, Canada, and China, customers can expect to see a noticeable difference in pricing for some imported goods. Trump announced 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on China products. An ING report released Friday estimates the economic impact of tariffs could be about $835 per person or $3,340 for a family of four.
Some of the other grocery products that could experience significant price increases from the tariffs include fruits and vegetables, beef, Tater Tots and french fries, and maple syrup.
And as consumers deal with the one-two punch of high egg prices due to tariffs and the bird flu, it’s important to know that some eggs are still considered safe to eat. Experts told Fortune’s Lindsey Leake it’s always a good idea to check for pasteurization labels and thoroughly cook your eggs.
“There is no known link at the moment between bird flu and sickness in humans through food contact, but a good year-round choice is to cook your food,” Melissa Wright, MS, director of the Food Producer Technical Assistance Network at Virginia Tech, told Fortune.
