Tariffs on imports raise cost of cut flowers in Hawaii
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Flower season is underway with major floral events and celebrations coming up.
Easter was later than usual this year, and Merrie Monarch is right on its heels.
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'You blink and then it's May Day, Mother's Day and Graduation, so the next six to seven weeks for the floral industry is going to be a whirlwind,' said Watanabe Floral General Manager Monty Pereira.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. imports over 80% of cut flowers from other countries, and despite having plenty of tropical flowers, Hawaii imports a lot of those too.
'Mostly from South America, Colombia, Ecuador and a lot of orchid lei that you see or orchid base lei all come from Asia,' Pereira added.And some of those countries have been hit with tariffs, or have another 60-day pause until tariffs take effect.
Pereira said all the carnations come from Colombia and have been impacted by tariffs.
'For us, it was 10 to 15% on cut flowers from Colombia and Ecuador and it's 16 to 17% coming in from Thailand which is the major source of orchid lei. Roses, carnations, chrysanthemums are popular for Mother's Day and they'll be a little more expensive but still manageable,' Pereira continued. 'And we worked hard down the supply chain to make sure the consumer doesn't feel the burden of it.'
Tropical flowers from home won't be impacted by tariffs, and Pereira said they are looking at importing from California as well. However, florists here at home warn that there are never enough fresh flower lei by the time graduation comes around.
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'We've always tried to source as locally as possible,' said Honolulu Flower Lady President Cindy Dabbous. 'So when we do source locally, we're not going to be impacted by tariffs as much.'
She guesstimates about 30% of her flowers are imported, but does specialize in lei and tropicals.
'This was around the week I was thinking, you know I think I'm going to increase my local tropical supply and start ordering less classic flowers, but people love their roses and they're never going to stop ordering them,' she added.
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She said there is a lot of uncertainty of what's going to happen with prices.
Pereira says one big impact is vases from China, with a 145% tariff, as a $35 vase will now cost $50.75.
And while inventory isn't a concern this year, there will still be enough gifts for all budgets.
'We have fake lei, candy lei, gummy lei, gift baskets and food partnerships, budget won't be a reason why you can't bless someone these next six to seven weeks full of holidays,' Pereira added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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