By Dakota Antelman – [email protected]
Concord business leaders are voicing confusion and frustration in light of President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policies.
If tariffs stick, local merchants say, they could raise prices and hurt entire industries. Customers are asking questions, and employees are doing their best to answer them.
After Trump paused some tariffs while leaving others in place on March 6, though, Ian Agranat of Wildlife Acoustics said it’s hard to form a plan.
“That’s today,” Agranat said. ”Who knows what tomorrow is?”
Trump threatened tariffs during his campaign and enacted a tax on some products from China in February. He doubled the tariff on March 4 and aimed new taxes at Canada and Mexico.
Trump stepped back from some of the Canada and Mexico levies two days later and paused them until April 2. The tariff on Chinese goods remained. Trump has also threatened tariffs against the European Union.
The justifications range from fentanyl smuggling to trade deficits.
‘Stress and anxiety’
On the morning of March 6, Meghan Elwell said the uncertainty “adds a level of stress and anxiety” to her job at Vintages Adventures in Wine in West Concord.
Elwell’ shop is Europe-focused. She said she hadn’t encountered preemptive price increases from suppliers due to tariff threats. Supplies also have warehouses full of products, meaning they could weather short-term tariffs without hiking prices.
If those levies persist, she said, she would mitigate increases “as much as I can.” Consumer costs might still rise, though, and Elwell said tariffs could affect which wines she carries.
West Concord Wine & Spirits owner Chris Saia said tariffs could go beyond Canadian whisky and Mexican beer, raising prices for American brands with foreign glass or aluminum packaging.
He also worried about retaliatory tariffs and efforts from Canada to pull American liquor off store shelves.
“Does this mean that American producers will raise their prices to compensate for the losses?” he said.
Global groceries
In Thoreau Depot, Farfalle Italian Market owner Gina Nasson said she believes her business could pivot in response to tariffs. Because Farfalle works directly with small importers, Nasson said, she hopes possible price increases would be minimal.
In some cases, she said, Farfalle would have to pass increases along to customers.
“It’s too soon to know the real impact,” Nasson said.
At Debra’s Natural Gourmet, owner Adam Stark addressed tariffs in a recent blog post. He said many vendors grow their ingredients in the U.S.; other products are entirely imported.
Much of the produce at Debra’s comes from or moves through Mexico. Stark said the store uses Canadian vendors for products ranging from organic potato chips to soap.
Moving abroad?
Agranat’s company provides acoustic monitoring technology for wildlife experts. Though it does its manufacturing across New England, Wildlife Acoustics imports some components and could be subject to tariffs.
Agranat said retaliatory tariffs could disadvantage his company on the global market.
Beyond tariff impacts, Agranat said Wildlife Acoustics has felt the pinch as the Trump administration cancels grants and slashes funding for agencies that buy their products.
“It’s a double whammy,” he said. “You’re shutting off our ability to compete internationally, and you’re strangling our domestic business by cutting, arbitrarily, all grants to all science.”
In a LinkedIn post, Agranat said Trump administration policies “offer a strong incentive for us to consider moving our manufacturing, if not our entire operation, to a more friendly country.”
In an interview with The Bridge, he reflected on history and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution.
The Revolution, he said, “was all about throwing out the tyrants and taxation with[out] representation.”
Facing “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional” federal funding cuts, he urged people to speak out.
“Is this the end of our … experiment in democracy,” he said, “or is this a reaffirmation that we care about it?”
