- New tariff on U.K. imports is raising prices for small-town retailers.
- Local business owners are adapting but express concern.
- Watch the video to find out the baseline tariff on UK imports.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Global policy changes may seem far away — but here in Monticello, they’re hitting Main Street.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, where new tariffs are creating real challenges for small-town businesses and their customers.
The Luckenbooth Shop in downtown Monticello has built a following by offering embroidered gifts and imported goods from the U.K. and Ireland. But a new U.S. tariff policy is making it harder to do business.
As of April 5, a new 10% baseline tariff now applies to nearly all U.K. imports — a significant jump from previous years.
For business owner Rosemary Gray, the changes are personal — and financial.
“I definitely have to really watch what I spend, what I order, you know? If the numbers aren’t good in the beginning, then we just can’t — we can’t do that. Yeah, I can’t order those items,” Gray said.
Suppliers from the U.K. aren’t the only ones raising prices — other countries impacted by tariffs are also driving up the cost of goods.
Gray says many of her fellow local small-business owners rely on goods from these countries.
“Some of my little clothes are made in China. So, those tariffs are very high right now, so I would think it would probably affect just about all of us,” Gray said.
And in Jefferson County — where over 90% of non-farm private employment is tied to small businesses, double the state average — Amy McDaniel, executive director of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, says small-business owners are adapting, but not without concern.
“I know this is an uncertain time for a lot of businesses, big and small. And in our county especially, we have mostly mom-and-pop shops. We’ve always been resilient — our town and our businesses. Other issues have come up in the past, and we can all work together and still remain resilient,” McDaniel said.
Gray says she’s exploring alternative ways to make up for any losses — but the shift in tariffs is just the latest example of how small-town shops are feeling the global impact.
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