As you know, the Trump administration has announced new tariffs nearly every day this summer. That has left Florida shoppers confused and unsure how it will impact their wallets. In the 2024 election, Trump carried the state by an overwhelming margin of over 13.1%. While many residents are in favor of the tariffs, others are concerned that increasing prices on daily necessities is a burden on working people.
Gainesville, a small city located in north-central Florida with a population of just over 145,000, is feeling the effects of these changes. The booming college town—home of the University of Florida and all its associated clamors—is in the midst of a grocery inflation tsunami. Census Bureau’s analysis for their 2024 appropriations, it ID now fifth highest per capita in the nation.
Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company, a local coffee-roasting operation, is a prime example of what’s happening to so many local businesses. The business is a major supplier of coffee to local grocery stores, coffee houses, and restaurants in nearby Gainesville. Coffee prices had already skyrocketed at the time the tariffs were implemented, putting even more pressure on local businesses already facing plummeting profits.
Specifically, China tariffs 301 provide a starting point of 10% on almost all imports, plus 20% rates on EU goods. Consequently, prices for important household goods, clothing, electronics and food are destined to increase. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam are among those that would experience the largest increases in tariff rates. Conversely, low and middle-income countries like Indonesia, Nicaragua and Laos will experience much sharper rises. Indonesia will experience a 32% increase, Nicaragua 18%, and Laos 48%.
Gainesville resident Samantha Gore, who fears increased construction costs, nonetheless trusts that the tariffs will serve the long-term interests of American workers.
“This is a short-term sacrifice for long-term gain,” – Samantha Gore.
Gore argues that the tariffs will bring back better-paying jobs and higher-quality goods while keeping money within the US economy.
According to Bill Harris of Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company, tariffs would make a bad situation worse for struggling companies. For most of these companies, they’re already feeling the pinch of skyrocketing coffee prices. This makes him sure that importers and roasters can’t help but pass these costs onto consumers.
“All of our fellow importers with whom I have spoken will be passing the cost of tariffs along to their roastery clients. Our margins at the importing and roasting point in the supply chain are quite slim in normal times,” – Bill Harris.
To be clear, Harris’s concerns are not merely those of a lone Panicked Carrier ®. Many worry that these tariffs would increase consumer inflation and break important supply chains. He notes that a lot of the coffee industry was already experiencing extreme pressures from soaring costs.
Justin Godwin, a fellow Gainesville resident, agrees with Harris. Under no circumstances, unlike scores of other members of his party, does he support this overreach.
“We are not the world police, nor are we the global providers of welfare,” – Justin Godwin.
His remarks illustrate the push and pull of wanting to support domestic policy changes while still recognizing their possible downstream impacts on international trade.
Kim Roberts Rogel is a big supporter of Trump’s policies. She has expressed confidence that his sharp business mind will lead to results that are beneficial to our economy.
“Go, Trump. He’s a businessman and knows exactly what he is doing,” – Kim Roberts Rogel.
Across the spectrum of resident opinions, there’s a consensus that things are changing. Florida grocery prices are 11th highest in the nation. Recent analysis from the Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that tariffs will end up costing the average American household nearly $3,800 per year.
Local businesses and chains alike are watching these trends with bated breath, as they get ready for a coming change in consumer expectations and priorities. Sweetwater Organic Coffee Company is currently developing a strategy to address the increased costs. They want to maintain customer loyalty as they undergo this transformation.
So as residents of Gainesville, FL decide what to buy at their local grocery stores, they face these harsh truths. The mixed responses are symptomatic of a much larger national discussion on the role of tariffs and trade policies in the current administration.