The one-cent coins that are still in circulation are getting tougher to locate since the Trump administration stopped minting them earlier this year. Due to the lack of government regulations, many retailers are now rounding their cash sales to the closest five cents. That adds up really quickly,” stated Dylan Jeon, the National Retail Federation’s senior director of government relations.
President Donald Trump urged social media users to “rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time” in February after claiming that the coin’s production was too costly and inefficient.
In May, the US Mint formally ceased producing pennies. Shortages began far earlier than the Treasury Department had predicted, in early 2026. Businesses cannot obtain pennies from banks, since banks cannot obtain them from the federal government.
We first heard regarding the problem in late August, early September,” said Mr. Jeon. “It’s definitely affecting any business that deals with cash payments.” When their tills are empty and someone requires change in pennies from a cash purchase, store clerks are suddenly at a loss for what to do.
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