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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Bad hair day: US tariffs hit black women's braids, wigs
Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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. Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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.
West Australian
3 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Bad hair day: US tariffs hit black women's braids, wigs
Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Bad hair day: US tariffs hit black women's braids, wigs
Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. 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 are imported from China, which was subject to a combined 145 per cent tariff in April. Many black women have hair types and workplace-favoured styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. 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 US Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145 per cent tax on goods imported from China to 30 per cent while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10 per cent. 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. 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 $US245 ($A381) 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 $US100 ($A155). 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 $US6 ($A9.3) to $US10 ($A16) 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 neighbourhood 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. 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 $US3.2 billion ($A5.0 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. "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 $US160 ($A249) and $US250 ($A389) 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 $US250 ($A389) to $US300 ($A466), 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.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Tariff Tracker, May 31: Court restores status quo, only for Trump to stir the pot again
Dear reader, In the previous Tracker, we pointed out that very few things remain static in the realm of all things Donald Trump. In the intervening period, the US President has managed to secure a stay on the order holding his tariffs 'unlawful', accused China of violating the terms of a tariff truce the two nations agreed to earlier this month, and promised to double tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports to 50%. These developments come amidst his battle with universities, chiefly Trump's criticism of Harvard University for failing to control what he describes as 'antisemitic' hate speech, and protests criticising Israel in its war against Palestine. On Wednesday (May 28), Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a vague proclamation that the US would 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' The move will impact roughly 275,000 Chinese students in the United States, about 20% of all student visa holders. On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the US Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had exceeded his presidential authority in using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 1977 (IEEPA) to tariff nations. As explained in the May 29 Tariff Tracker, the judges ruled as illegal Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on virtually every country. The law, used by presidents of yore to impose emergencies, has been used thus far in a sanctionary capacity, bypassing Congressional approval. In question were two sets of tariffs: This order was stayed by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Thursday (May 29), allowing the status quo to persist. This means the Trump administration would not need to immediately wind up all three sets of tariffs listed above. However, this matter will likely be heard in the Supreme Court, where a final word is awaited. The Wednesday ruling brought to the fore Trump's continuing tussle with the judiciary, including with judges he appointed. Also of note, this ruling does not affect other sector-specific Trump tariffs, including: On Friday (May 30), Trump accused China of reneging on the agreement it made with the US earlier this month. In a post on TruthSocial, he wrote, 'China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!' While he did not specify what the purported violations were, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC later that day that China had been slow to remove its non-tariff barriers or 'countermeasures' in response to Trump's tariff announcements. The countermeasures included restricting exports of rare earth minerals, which are vital inputs in several tech products and defence items, as well as the blacklisting of American companies. 'We haven't seen the flow of some of those critical minerals as they were supposed to be doing,' Greer said. Meanwhile, the US suspended some sales of critical technology to China, taking both nations a step closer to 'supply chain warfare', The New York Times reported Wednesday. A Bloomberg report on Friday claimed that the Trump administration will double down on this, with officials framing a rule to impose US licensing requirements on deals with subsidiaries of companies already sanctioned by the government. By choking off access to vital inputs needed by companies in both countries, the move could revive the trade war and send markets spiralling downward once again. The US and China had agreed to reduce tariffs on each other by 115%, effective May 14, for 90 days. This reduced effective US tariffs on China from 145% to 30%, and Chinese tariffs on the US from 125% to 10%. On Friday, Trump announced that he would double the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25% to 50%, effective from June 4. 'We're going to bring it from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry,' he said at a Pennsylvania rally. 'Nobody is going to get around that … At 25 per cent, they can sort of get over that fence. At 50 per cent, they can no longer get over the fence,' he added, referring to the tariffs as a fence to boost domestic metals production. This development comes a week after Trump endorsed a contentious $15 billion partnership between Japanese company Nippon Steel and US Steel. He had earlier opposed the same while campaigning for President. Former President Joe Biden had earlier blocked the potential acquisition of the beleaguered American steel company by Nippon, citing a national security risk. Trump described the deal between the two countries as a 'blockbuster agreement' with a 'great partner' that he said would 'ensure this storied American company stays an American company'.
News18
5 hours ago
- Business
- News18
Trump Vs Judiciary: Tariffs On Shaky Legal Grounds
| 'So much for being a nice guy'—Trump slams China, reignites trade tensions, says tariff deal was violated. For a brief moment on Thursday, it looked like the European Union and countries around the globe would get a surprise reprieve from the widest-sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald little-known US Court of International Trade in New York struck down the blanket baseline 10% tariffs on virtually all goods imported into the US, announced two months ago on what Trump dubbed "Liberation Day," along with even higher country-specific US federal court argued that Trump had overstepped his presidential powers with the radical and sprawling penalties, a central pillar of his isolationist "America First' economic policy, and ordered a halt to the tariffs. n18oc_worldNews18 Mobile App -
