Orca Card Prices Rise Due To Trump Tariffs On Chinese Imports

SEATTLE, WA — As President Donald Trump was tweeting Friday morning about increasing tariffs on Chinese imports, local transit agencies were preparing to face the consequences of those tariffs.

The tariffs have caused the price of Orca cards, which are made in China, to jump by about 48 cents per card. The cards now cost $2.40 per unit to buy compared to $1.92 last year, according to Sound Transit.

Transit agencies need to buy about 750,000 new Orca cards this year to keep up with demand, so the board that controls the Orca system has to make a $400,000 budget transfer to cover the price increases. The money will come from a contingency fund, draining the account from over $1 million down to about $660,000.

About $1.58 million was initially budgeted to buy cards in 2019. If the transfer is approved, the budget will jump to more than $1.9 million.

Orca cards cost commuters $5 up front (and $5 for a replacement), and can then be loaded with money. Thousands of commuters across Puget Sound use the cards to board buses, trains, and ferries operated by King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, and Kitsap Transit (and state ferries). The Orca system is overseen by a board comprised of members from all local transit agencies, including Sound Transit.

The Trump administration on Friday raised tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on about $200 billion worth of imported Chinese goods. Trump has said he's increasing tariffs to settle a trade imbalance between the U.S. and China, among other gripes. The tariffs have resulted in price increases on items ranging from sneakers to washing machines, and it appears negotiations between the two countries are stalled.

The Sound Transit Orca Card Board will consider approving the $400,000 budget transfer to cover cost increases on Monday.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story was not clear in explaining that decisions about Orca cards are made by a board of local transit agencies, not just Sound Transit.