10-04-2025
‘It's already hard enough': Tampa hair vendor braces for impact of tariff on China imports
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa businesses are warning customers about price increases for their products. This comes as President Trump announced a 125% tariff on Chinese imports.
Tyra Hankserson is a hair stylist and hair vendor. On Tuesday, she was installing a sew-in for a customer at the shop on 7th Avenue in Tampa.
Trump limits tariffs on most nations for 90 days, except China
'This is imported hair. Most of the hair you find in America is imported hair,' Hankserson said.
She gets her hair bundles from India and packaging from China. Until now, she said shipping and purchasing has been a breeze.
'But I can say since the tariff conversations have started to spark up and stuff, my vendor did contact me and let me know that there will be a price increase,' Hankserson said. 'I have a lot of friends who get their hair directly from China. They actually put a hold on their orders.'
She said they don't know how long the hold will be. Hankserson put in an order last week, and was told the price would increase this week.
President Trump imposed a 125% tariff on Chinese imports. China responded by raising imports from the U.S. to 84%.
News Channel 8 On Your Side asked USF Professor of Economics Chris Jones if this is the brink of a trade war.
'It could be,' Jones said. 'A trade war between China and the United States, there are no winners in that war. China loses, and the U.S. loses. We lose from having to pay higher prices. They lose because their biggest customer in the global market is now charging, you know, an excessive tax on the production of their goods, which limits their ability to grow as an economy.'
Jones said President Trump's goal is to bring jobs to the U.S. with companies from overseas starting manufacturing plants in the U.S. to avoid tariffs.
'Basically, we're going to make you pay a higher price to sell your product in the United States, if you're not manufacturing the product in the United States,' Jones said. 'America is the greatest productive economy in the history of the world. But it does not mean that our nation has the ability to produce every product at the lowest possible cost.'
He predicts major price spikes for consumer goods manufactured overseas in May and June.
But Hankserson said she started selling hair based on the fact that, in America, it's really hard to get good quality, raw hair.
'That's something we've always got overseas, so that's not something that we really worry about here,' Hankserson said.
She said she will not worry about what she can't control but will pay close attention to the tariffs for the sake of her customers.
'Because I like to be affordable and I just don't want to make it hard for the girls, it's already hard enough out here,' Hankserson said. 'If the increase is too much, I'm going to be forced to shop around because I have to meet my client's needs.'
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