Trump's tariffs have New Jersey small business owners worried about their bottom line
Get ready to pay more at your grocery store and local deli. Lots of items are likely to get more expensive soon due to President Trump's widespread tariffs.
Olive oil, seafood, nuts, coffee, wine ...
The price of imported food will likely increase first because inventories need to be replenished more frequently than other industries, experts say.
"Your avocados are not going to become expensive. Your tomatoes might not. Your lettuce might not. But there are other products where there will be an increase in prices," said Dr. Priya Nagaraj, an economics professor at William Paterson University's Cotsakos College of Business.
Nagaraj says supermarket products and produce from Mexico and Canada will likely not be hit by the tariffs. However, items like olive oil, seafood, nuts and coffee, will be impacted. She said you can also expect higher prices for imported liquor and wine.
Smaller business owners are bracing for the worst
Roger Schnorrbusch, who is known as "the deli guy," both at Park Wood Deli in Midland Park, New Jersey, and on TikTok, says the new tariffs are going to hurt.
"I haven't seen anything yet but you know it's coming," Schnorrbusch said.
He said he's still waiting to see which ingredients will go up and by how much.
"For us, we use a lot of olive oil. We'll just have to figure that out as it comes through. You know, make adjustments. But, unfortunately, it affects back on the customer. People don't want to hear that, but a small business only can take so many hits before they roll it off on the customer," Schnorrbusch said.
Customers say they're bracing to spend more on just about everything.
"It's going to be very tough for everybody," said Jeff Graham of Midland Park. "I'm a small business owner myself, and everything's going up -- products, food, everything. It's going to affect everyone's business."
"Right now, you're treading water, you know? Who knows what angle you're going to get hit from," Schnorrbusch said.
The deli guy says the hope is to stay afloat because, for many small businesses, the tariffs will cut deep.
