A SMALL business owner has cried out as her small business faces significant financial challenges amid tariff policies.
President Donald Trump notably introduced the global reciprocal tariffs affecting 90 countries earlier in April.
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While Trump later confirmed a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs for most countries, there remains a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods.
China responded with a 125% tariff on American goods and has pledged to restrict Hollywood films in the country for the foreseeable future.
As the trade war continues to go back and forth, some Etsy sellers like Emmalyn Perez (@emmalynetc) argue that her buyers will directly feel the impact of the 145% tariff soon.
“I’m dropping off Etsy packages, and I’m just feeling so bummed,” Emmalyn told viewers in a recent TikTok video.
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“I just feel like my Etsy shop’s gonna die, like my Etsy shop’s dead.”
Emmalyn added that the needle minders she crafts and sells are her custom designs, but she uses a manufacturer in China to make them.
“I have to have them imported, at least at the price point that my customers will pay,” she continued.
“What am I going to do? I can’t afford those anymore.”
The seller explained that her sales had slowed down over the past six months and claimed that the tariffs would likely be the final blow.
“Everyone told me I was overreacting and it wasn’t going to be a big deal, and now, we’re here,” she fumed.
Emmalyn’s shop on Etsy is BewitchedStitchery and has over 340 five-star reviews.
Some Harry Potter-themed needle minders she sells go for around $12, but that price would likely need to spike to accommodate the tax Emmalyn would have to pay if she kept her process the same.
NOT ALONE
Fellow Etsy sellers also resonated with Emmalyn’s frustrations.
“Same boat here,” a small business owner commented on her post.
What items will be affected by the tariffs?
AMERICANS should prepare to see significant prices changes on everything from avocados to cars under President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs.
Here is a list of some of the everyday products that could see a massive price tag surge.
- Coffee
- Tea
- Bananas
- Foreign-made cars
- Sneakers
- Furniture and other home goods
- Pharmaceuticals
- Video games
- Clothing
- Toys
- Washers and dryers
- Avocados
- Housing materials
“I had to frontload my entire expense budget in March to ensure I had all the packaging and rare ingredients I get from various countries,” another wrote.
“Also, my sales have STOPPED in the past 1-2 weeks.”
“I feel you too. I was just getting started and now there is no way I can survive,” a third said.
ADAPT AND ADJUST
Larger businesses have also begun preparing for potential price increases via the reciprocal tariffs.
The Coca-Cola Company CEO James Quincy told investors during a February earnings call that the brand would adjust as needed depending on a 25% tariff on aluminum imports from Canada.
“If one package suffers some increase in input costs, we continue to have other packaging offerings that will allow us to compete in the affordability space,” Quincey explained.
“For example, if aluminum cans become more expensive, we can put more emphasis on [plastic] bottles, et cetera.”
Quincey added that tariffs were not “insignificant” for The Coca-Cola Company, but prices would likely not “radically change” for its customer base.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also had a stark six-word response to customers about tariffs.
Toy maker Mattel is also taking steps to manage the potential impact of tariff policies on its operations.