photo credit: Tina Caputo
Phlip Ma of Asia Mart in Santa Rosa. 

This year, President Trump imposed new tariffs of 145 percent on all Chinese goods coming into the United States. While it may seem like the tariffs mainly affect huge global companies like Amazon, local retailers say tariffs are also having a big impact on small local businesses that rely on Chinese imports.

Asia Mart in Santa Rosa is one of them. Owner Philip Ma points out that many of the grocery store’s items, from rice to condiments to Sichuan peppercorns, come from China.  

“Prices have gone up 20 to 30 percent for a lot of this stuff, but also I have heard that numerous Chinese distributors are halting entire shipments coming in from China,” Ma said. “When the stuff gets to the port, the distributors are just straight up rejecting it.”

That will lead to shortages for some Chinese products, he added, as well as higher prices. If the trade war continues, Ma said he will probably need to change the store’s inventory strategy. In other words: Don’t get too attached to your favorite brand of chili crisp; it might just disappear.

“Unfortunately,” Ma said, “we'll have to have less Chinese stuff and we'll just have more Japanese, Korean, Thai stuff.”

At Bliss Bridal shop in Petaluma, co-owner Hilary Opel is also dealing with tariff impacts.

According to the National Bridal Retailers association, about 90 percent of wedding dresses sold in the U.S. are made in China, where production and labor costs are far lower.

Although she said she’s not raising prices on Chinese-made dresses, some of the tariff costs will be passed on to brides.

“We chose to keep our MSRP what it's always been,” Opel said, “and then we are imposing… we call it a government-imposed tariff fee, which is a percentage that we've worked out with our retailers.”

Opel said she wants brides to have a joyful dress-shopping experience, without added stress.

photo credit: Tina Caputo
Hilary Opel of Bliss Bridal in Petaluma.

 “[Brides] already have a lot of anxiety with planning weddings,” she said, “and it can be such a financially impactful time in somebody's life.”

Across the street from Bliss Bridal at Poppy’s toy store, tariffs are causing price hikes and making it hard for retailers to plan for the holiday season. According to the Toy Association, China makes about 80% of all toys sold in the U.S. market.

“The prices are already being affected this month,” said owner Kate Brown. “We've had to raise prices. I think that’s the only way we can really stay in business.”

Due to tariffs, Brown said she may stop stocking certain items. To help keep prices in check and avoid import taxes, she said she’s shopping liquidation sales and looking for more American-made toys.

In the meantime, Brown said she’s hoping customers will keep their money in the community by shopping local. 

“If you go on Amazon, that's not the same. It's literally not the same,” she said. “We offer that personal touch, and we offer that… just friendly vibes that you get when you come into a local business.”