Latest news with #Tariffs
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean for braids and wigs
ATLANTA (AP) — Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon to preserve her healthy mane. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Not having braided hair 'creates more of a hassle for everything,' said Sims, who counts herself among the tens of millions of women that regularly spend on the Black hair care industry. Now, she said, she has to 'go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz.' President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many Black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products is imported from or has packaging from China, which was subject to a combined 145% tariff in April. India also is a major global source of human hair. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. The Associated Press spoke with several Black hair industry experts, beauty supply store owners, and wholesale companies, as well as nearly two dozen Black stylists and braiders, some of whom may have to raise prices even as business has slowed. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145% tax on goods imported from China to 30% while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10%. Regardless, the next few months 'are already shot' for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. 'Prices go up very fast and come down very slow,' Parker said. Costs go up for Atlanta stylists Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $245 in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $100. The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $6 to $10 cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. 'It's going to be extremely difficult,' she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'' Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighborhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. 'I'm falling behind on my obligations,' she said. The industry braces for uncertainty Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global Black hair care industry was worth about $3.2 billion in 2023, according to and Black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as Black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. Most packaging plastics come from China, but ingredients can come from many places. 'Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end,' McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $160 and $250 for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers 'can't afford the Atlanta prices,' Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $250 to $300, Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. 'When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair,' Keita said. Priced-out consumers face unfair beauty standards For many Black Americans, especially women, affording their hair care also means confronting unfavorable beauty standards. Georgia State University law professor Tanya Washington said recent discoveries about dangerous chemicals in synthetic hair and hair straightening products have sparked conversations among Black women looking for hairstyles that don't require as much imported products. But embracing natural hairdos can be daunting for women like the soon-to-be lawyers and clerks Washington advises who face pressure to straighten their hair. 'That puts everyone who does not have organically, naturally derived straight hair at a disadvantage in these spaces,' she said. 'I think that a definition of professionalism that favors one phenotype — European phenotype — over all others, is inappropriate." Longstanding income disparities between Black and white American women can also make higher hair care prices untenable. According to the U.S. Census, as of 2023, the median household income in Atlanta is $131,319 for white households and $47,937 for Black households. It's an inequality issue that professional hairstylists are aware of nationwide. Stylist Mitzi Mitchell, owner of PIC ONE Beauty Services in Pennsylvania, said she has stocked up on certain products and tools for another year in anticipation of price increases. She wants to avoid 'bootleg' products, which are made illegally and often aren't as safe, but became much more prevalent in the marketplace during economic downturns. 'I'm really conscientious about my Black minority clients because we make a heck of a lot less than other nationalities,' said Mitchell, who is Black. 'I try to keep prices low so we can continue to have the same services, but I know I will have to raise it.' ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean for braids and wigs
Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon to preserve her healthy mane. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Not having braided hair 'creates more of a hassle for everything,' said Sims, who counts herself among the tens of millions of women that regularly spend on the Black hair care industry. Now, she said, she has to 'go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz.' President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many Black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products is imported from or has packaging from China, which was subject to a combined 145% tariff in April. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. The Associated Press spoke with several Black hair industry experts, beauty supply store owners, and wholesale companies, as well as nearly two dozen Black stylists and braiders, some of whom may have to raise prices even as business has slowed. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145% tax on goods imported from China to 30% while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10%. Regardless, the next few months 'are already shot' for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. 'Prices go up very fast and come down very slow,' Parker said. Costs go up for Atlanta stylists Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $245 in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $100. The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $6 to $10 cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. 'It's going to be extremely difficult,' she said, especially for clients who are "having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'' Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighborhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. 'I'm falling behind on my obligations,' she said. The industry braces for uncertainty Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global Black hair care industry was worth about $3.2 billion in 2023, according to and Black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as Black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. Most packaging plastics come from China, but ingredients can come from many places. 'Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end,' McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $160 and $250 for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers 'can't afford the Atlanta prices,' Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $250 to $300, Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. 'When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair,' Keita said. Priced-out consumers face unfair beauty standards For many Black Americans, especially women, affording their hair care also means confronting unfavorable beauty standards. Georgia State University law professor Tanya Washington said recent discoveries about dangerous chemicals in synthetic hair and hair straightening products have sparked conversations among Black women looking for hairstyles that don't require as much imported products. But embracing natural hairdos can be daunting for women like the soon-to-be lawyers and clerks Washington advises who face pressure to straighten their hair. 'That puts everyone who does not have organically, naturally derived straight hair at a disadvantage in these spaces,' she said. 'I think that a definition of professionalism that favors one phenotype — European phenotype — over all others, is inappropriate." Longstanding income disparities between Black and white American women can also make higher hair care prices untenable. According to the U.S. Census, as of 2023, the median household income in Atlanta is $131,319 for white households and $47,937 for Black households. It's an inequality issue that professional hairstylists are aware of nationwide. Stylist Mitzi Mitchell, owner of PIC ONE Beauty Services in Pennsylvania, said she has stocked up on certain products and tools for another year in anticipation of price increases. She wants to avoid 'bootleg' products, which are made illegally and often aren't as safe, but became much more prevalent in the marketplace during economic downturns. 'I'm really conscientious about my Black minority clients because we make a heck of a lot less than other nationalities,' said Mitchell, who is Black. 'I try to keep prices low so we can continue to have the same services, but I know I will have to raise it.' ___
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why US exceptionalism and the export of crassness are finally losing their shallow appeal
In early May, as Roman Catholic cardinals convened for their conclave , US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope . Shortly afterwards, he declared that he would like to become a pontiff. Reactions from around the globe were swift, though not everyone was shocked. After all, this was American crassness at its finest – a spectacle the world has grown accustomed to. Trump is neither the first nor the only US figure to inure the world to such behaviour; there is a long list. When Trump announced sweeping tariffs on global trading partners in April , with China bearing the brunt, financial markets plunged into their worst turmoil since the early days of the pandemic. Ignorance, arrogance, exceptionalism, and fear of 'the other' converged in a display of American crassness on steroids. Trillions of dollars evaporated from stock valuations. Only when the fallout became too severe did Trump pause tariffs for most countries, eventually negotiating with China in mid-May. Yet much of the American public missed the larger picture: these tariffs weren't about sparking a trade war or addressing claims of the world 'ripping off' America. They were a desperate gambit to prop up the American brand – a brand that was sustained for decades by economic hegemony and the 'exorbitant privilege' of the dollar, but is now facing its moment of decline. Donald Trump holds a chart outlining 'reciprocal' tariffs at the White House on April 2. Photo: AFP Desperate to project strength, Trump boasted that world leaders were queuing up to make deals and even 'kiss his a**'. To call such behaviour crass would be an understatement, but the world barely blinked. This crude bravado has long been central to the American way, manifesting in entertainment, politics, media, finance and even sports. To much of the world, it reflects the immature culture of a brash young settler nation. Wealth accumulated through the colonisation of Native American lands bred an unfettered arrogance that normalised such behaviour. The world once playfully dubbed this the 'Ugly American', but that playful tolerance only emboldened the American psyche. Today, this has culminated in a rogue state run by supremacists, supported by a large majority. The US trade deficit, often cited as justification for protectionist tariffs, is merely a symptom of a deeper malaise. The real issue is that American goods – and the culture that sells them – are losing their appeal. Nations like China South Korea , and before them Japan , now produce superior goods. Meanwhile America, high on its own rhetoric about globalisation, shifted its economy towards services dominated by the financial sector, hollowing out its manufacturing base. Yet Americans continued to borrow and consume at unparalleled levels, encouraged by the state. Living beyond their means, they amassed crippling debt. All the while, they were led to believe that their consumerism was the engine of global growth, a myth perpetuated by American business media like Bloomberg and CNBC. For decades, this propaganda painted American life as the global standard. What was once irresistible now feels unsustainable, replaceable and, to the rest of the world, deeply crass. The world has finally woken up to the unsustainable mechanisms of the US-led 'rules-based order' and the hollowness of the so-called American dream. So why did it take so long for the world to realise that this dream is, in truth, a paper tiger? The myth of American superiority
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Narvar's Anisa Kumar on Tariffs, Trade and the Post-purchase Consumer Experience
Anisa Kumar, chief executive officer of Narvar, the post-purchase intelligence platform provider, is looking at the full picture, tackling every step in the consumer journey as retailers strategize on how to maintain customer loyalty. With consumer stress already high and tariffs expected to raise prices on already stretched-thin budgets, retailers are under pressure to consider every part of their operations. Timely, clear post-purchase communication is key to maintaining consumer loyalty and ultimately beating the competition. It's important, said Kumar, to build trust and increase conversion all at once. More from WWD How Leaders Tackle Tariffs, Supply Chain Costs and Geopolitical Uncertainty Why Michelle Peluso Believes in Revlon's Comeback Why Saudi Arabia and Qatar Are Primed for New Design Events as Contract Business Drives Demand Here, Kumar shares her insights on optimizing operations, post-purchase communication and how retailers should be investing to protect their margins without sacrificing customer loyalty. WWD: How are tariffs affecting retail right now, beyond just product pricing? Anisa Kumar: Tariffs are doing far more than raising prices — they're exposing pressure points across the entire retail operating model. Inventory isn't moving as planned, sourcing strategies are shifting, and fulfillment windows are harder to control. Supply chains are still in flux, and in that uncertainty, P&Ls are being scrutinized for every possible opportunity to protect margin. In recent conversations I've had with retail leaders, there's been a clear shift: more operators are treating post-purchase as a strategic lever. When returns are rerouted efficiently or converted into exchanges, they help reduce the need for additional buys and free up working capital at a time when inventory dollars need to stretch further. Post-purchase can no longer be an operational afterthought. It's a critical lever for margin protection. In a market where predictability is limited, it's one of the most dependable ways to regain control over cost and inventory flow. WWD: Narvar works with many leading retailers — what operational adjustments are you seeing retailers make in response to tariffs and trade volatility? A.K.: With tariffs taking a bigger bite out of P&Ls, retailers are under pressure to optimize every part of their operations. Every dollar counts. That's making precision — not just speed — the new north star across retail supply chains. From how quickly you ship, to how you handle returns, to how effectively you shut down fraud, every decision now has to be data-informed and margin-conscious. It's no longer about rushing every package out the door — it's about making smart trade-offs that protect profit while meeting customer expectations. That's where we come in. Our platform uses machine learning to power personalized, location-aware delivery estimates that align fulfillment speed with actual needs. This not only builds trust with shoppers but also helps retailers trim transportation costs and reduce the risk of unnecessary returns. In a time when even a few percentage points can make or break a quarter, that kind of precision is a true competitive advantage. At Narvar, we're helping retailers move away from over-promise and overspend toward accurate, confidence-building delivery windows. That shift from blanket urgency to strategic optimization is one of the most meaningful operational unlocks I'm seeing right now. WWD: How are shifting sourcing and customs delays impacting fulfillment strategies? What should retailers be doing now to prepare? A.K.: Sourcing and customs delays are extending lead times and making fulfillment timelines harder to predict, especially for cross-border inventory. In response, more brands are investing in real-time visibility and regionalizing fulfillment to stay closer to demand. But beyond rerouting goods, what matters most is optimizing estimated delivery dates — not every item needs to be shipped at the same time to every customer. By surfacing accurate, personalized delivery windows early and often, brands can protect the P&L, build trust and increase conversion all at once. Consumers don't expect perfection, but they do expect transparency. And right now, the retailers best positioned to protect loyalty are the ones treating delivery communication as a core part of their fulfillment strategy. WWD: What role does post-purchase communication play in retaining customer trust during this kind of economic uncertainty? A.K.: In today's environment, clear and timely post-purchase communication is non-negotiable. With so much variability in fulfillment and delivery, keeping consumers informed is one of the most powerful ways to build trust and loyalty. We're seeing that proactive updates throughout the journey reduce support calls, but more importantly, they reinforce confidence. When consumers know what to expect, they stay engaged. And when conditions change, that transparency helps maintain the relationship. It's not just a service touch point; it's a brand promise delivered in real-time. And in a climate of constant change, it's one of the most effective tools retailers have to protect loyalty and performance. WWD: Where should retailers be investing right now to protect their margins without sacrificing customer loyalty? A.K.: Post-purchase has become one of the most overlooked drivers of margin pressure and one of the most immediate opportunities for impact. As consumers grow more price-sensitive, brands will see a rise in both return volume and fraudulent activity. Return rates continue to climb, with our data showing that 39 percent of consumers now return items monthly. And more concerning, 52 percent of consumers have admitted to engaging in return fraud at least once, ranging from wardrobing to false claims about delivery. These behaviors can quietly erode profitability if not addressed with the right mix of policy and precision. This is a moment for retailers to take a more nuanced approach: identifying patterns, rewarding high-trust consumers and designing workflows that protect revenue without compromising the customer experience. As tariffs and external costs mount, few areas offer more untapped value than post-purchase optimization. Best of WWD The Definitive Timeline for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sean John Fashion Brand: Lawsuits, Runway Shows and Who Owns It Now What the Highest-paid CEOs at U.S. Fashion and Retail Companies Make Confidence Holds Up, But How Much Can Consumers Take?
Bloomberg
21 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
AWS CEO Matt Garman Lays Out Amazon's AI Plans
Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow speaks with Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman about the company's AI growth and its partners. Plus, sales of Apple's iPhone are set to take a big hit from tariffs. And President Trump accuses China of violating an agreement with the US to ease tariffs. (Source: Bloomberg)
