LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Imported goods just got more expensive after President Trump announced 30% tariffs on Mexico and the European Union on Saturday. For small businesses like Bougie's Cheese in La Mesa, this latest round of tariffs is creating new challenges in an already difficult economic environment.
"We are seeing, you know, 20% increases, which is not a little thing because whether or not you have carefully crafted cheese, which is what we carry, or mass produced cheese, cheese is already expensive," Jackie Bougie said.
While the shop sources nearly all its products from U.S. makers, even American artisans rely on imported ingredients.
"We have a local right here in El Cajon chocolate maker, but we don't produce cacao in the United States," Bougie said.
For businesses like Bougie's, the tariffs create a domino effect throughout the supply chain.
"While they try to hold their prices steady, they may do other things like before it was free shipping and now the shipping is passed on to us," Bougie said.
The unpredictable nature of tariff policies makes business planning particularly challenging.
"When it's a yo-yo effect—today it's on, tomorrow it's off—it's very difficult to plan. You can only respond," Bougie said.
When Bougie's Cheese opened in December, they had no idea these challenges were coming. Now they're facing the prospect of raising prices while consumer confidence falls.
"When we first opened we were hitting all our targets," Bougie said. "And then we started to see that decline—about 20%—as people got more nervous."
With the President announcing 30% tariffs on all European imports, Bougie is bracing for further impacts.
"If these things do go through it will eventually trickle down to us and affect our pocketbook and of course you know who wants to pay more for the goods that they've been enjoying having," Bougie said.
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