Will Chinatown Survive Trump’s Tariffs?

When the mainstream talks about the Trump Administration’s looming tariffs, they typically focus on the geopolitical ramifications and the stock market, but behind all the news reports and sensationalist headlines, real people are affected.

To see the effect, look no further than the Bay Area’s Chinatowns. Business owners in both San Francisco’s and Oakland’s respective Chinatowns are seeing significant challenges arise as a result of Trump’s trade war with China.

In some cases, tariffs of up to 245% have been levied against goods imported from China, and for many small businesses, this is an existential threat that could alter the face of Chinatown as we know it.

If things don’t change, several businesses will cease to exist, and as a result Chinatown will be a shell of its former self.

Nancy Yu, who owns four shops in Chinatown including Asiastar Fantasy, recently returned from a trip to China. She says the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs is affecting both her and her overseas partners.

“We had really good discussions with all my suppliers and my shipper,” Yu said to ABC News. “We all agreed it’s best to hold off on shipping for now.” As a result, she’s postponing new supply shipments for a couple of months.

Since the start of the trade war, Yu notes that the cost of shipping some of her regular goods has doubled or even tripled. The effects aren’t limited to businesses. Chinatown residents are also feeling the pinch. Several local stores report that people are stockpiling essential goods in anticipation of further price hikes.

While Trump says the tariffs are putting America first, Americans are the ones who are going to suffer. The tariffs are a shortsighted policy that will hurt both first generation Americans and families that can trace their lineage to the Mayflower.

Many of Trump’s voters voted for him with the idea that he would usher in a new era of economic prosperity, but with each passing day, it becomes more obvious that all Trump has to offer is chaos and destruction to both native born and immigrant communities.

Cities like San Francisco will suffer, but likely survive the onslaught of economic warfare brought on by Trump’s policies, but for small communities like Chinatown, the weight of economic hardship might prove too much to bear.

I know the ‘vote blue no matter who’ mindset is terrible and often leads us to embarrassment like the Biden administration, but never vote Republican because all they seem intent on is destroying everyone’s lives.