SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco and Chinatown leaders are demanding the Trump administration put a stop to tariffs they say are hurting businesses and the local economy.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, local leaders are warning that a trade war with China will have ripple effects here in the city.
“It is punishing our local businesses; it is punishing our community. It is destroying so much of the economic possibility and potential and recovery that we have, and when Chinatown is hit, all of us are hit,” said San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney.
San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and is the oldest in North America.
“Many merchants are raising their prices 30 to 40 percent, and some prices have gone up as much as 100 percent,” said SF Chinese Chamber of Commerce President Donald Luu.
Owner of Lion Trading, Magan Li, says it’s not only a tourist destination but a lifeline for the local Chinese community who rely on food, medicine, clothes and special products imported from China.
“It’s not just the financial side of things; it’s also the cultural side as well,” Li said through a translator. “I feel like we as a community are at a risk of losing the traditions. I hope that the government will work something out and help small businesses, like us, to continue to thrive.”
Without government support, these restrictions make it hard to stay afloat.
“During the pandemic, we do have the grants, we do have some kind of funding helping us, right now we don’t have any grants or any funding, our businesses (are) getting hurt,” said Edward Siu of the United Merchant Association.
Siu said the businesses he represents could be hit harder than they were during the COVID-19 pandemic because the government has not provided subsidies.
Business owners say if the tariffs continue, they will be forced to choose local alternatives, but many of the items only come from overseas.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
