A Sunnyside grocery store and a Northside coffee shop said they were cautiously optimistic, adding that they were hit hard by the tariffs for months.
HOUSTON — Some small businesses in Houston said a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday striking down President Donald Trump’s tariffs is welcome news, though uncertainty remains about what happens next.
At Fresh Houwse Grocery in Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood, about 20% of the store’s products, from seasonings to sodas, come from outside the United States.
“Our Graces, our jerk seasoning. Thyme and leaves. Also, our different soy sauces,” Fresh Houwse Grocery owner Jeremy Peaches said.
Peaches said international goods are a key part of what draws customers to his store.
“When you get into certain products that you just can’t get in the U.S., it comes from overseas, it’s about 20% for us because, that’s what makes people want to come,” he said.
In the wake of Trump’s tariffs, imposed last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Peaches said the past several months have been a financial strain. He said he has had to spend an extra 3% to 5% on international items.
“Tariffs impacted us greatly,” Peaches said. “When the tariffs hit, that means they had to increase their product prices as well as the price of delivery.”
The Supreme Court ruled Friday to strike down the tariffs, saying Trump did not have the authority to impose them. Peaches said he feels hopeful following that decision.
“It’s a sense of relief, I would say, because of the acknowledgement of the act that was done, has been acknowledged from a legality standpoint,” Peaches said.
The impact of tariffs has also been felt at Caffe & Trein in Houston’s Northside area. The coffee shop, which opened in August, imports many of its products from Brazil.
“With all these tariffs going on, it did impact us a lot. And we did absorb a lot of the cost, the extra cost for the shipping and all that stuff,” general manager Raul Galvan-Longoria said. “It has been a struggle.”
Now, Galvan-Longoria said he feels relieved by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Hopefully that would make a big difference. Hopefully prices go down,” he said.
However, the future is uncertain. President Trump said he plans to sign an executive order establishing a 10% global tariff.
No matter what they sell, some Houston small businesses said they are focused on what comes next.
“The big question now is now what? And how do we be able to get back to a point where the tariffs are either cut or lowered,” Peaches said.