Bureaucracy, Labor, & Tariffs: How Government Is Making BLTs More Expensive
The article uses the BLT sandwich to illustrate how various government policies increase the cost of everyday foods. It highlights rising bacon prices during the Biden administration and references political commentary on those increases. The piece argues that tariffs, labor regulations, and immigration restrictions act as indirect attacks on the free movement of goods that make a BLT possible.
- ▪The BLT exemplifies a complex supply chain that relies on agriculture, livestock, processing, and logistics across multiple regions.
- ▪Bacon prices rose from $5.83 per pound in January 2021 to a peak of $7.60 in October 2022, a 30 percent increase according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- ▪Former President Donald Trump cited the rising cost of bacon in a 2024 campaign stop as evidence of economic mismanagement.
- ▪The author links higher BLT costs to policies such as animal‑welfare regulations, protectionist tariffs, immigration limits, and labor rules.
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Economics Bureaucracy, Labor, & Tariffs: How Government Is Making BLTs More Expensive The BLT—a delicious celebration of the power of markets—exemplifies political attacks on the free movement of goods and people. Eric Boehm | From the August/September 2026 issue Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google Media Contact & Reprint Requests <img src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c1200x675-w1200-q80/uploads/2026/06/BLT.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto" width="1200" height="675" title="An illustration of a BLT sandwich" alt="An illustration of a BLT sandwich | Illustration: Galich Ws/Fiverr" /> (Illustration: Galich Ws/Fiverr) Life might be like a box of chocolates, but the economy? It's more like a…
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