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Distributors Already Feeling Impact of Trump Tariffs

ASHER: All right. A dramatic turnaround for Donald Trump's new tariffs. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tells CNBC that President Trump will

likely announce a one-month tariff pause on all products covered by the free trade treaty with Mexico and Canada. They were actually scheduled to kick in

kick in 开始生效

on April 2nd.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and investors, I mean, talk about whiplash, they were not so reassured. U.S. stocks opened lower this morning on tariff uncertainty
 

whiplash [ˋhwɪplæʃ] n. 鞭打；打击

reassured [͵riəˋʃʊrd] adj. 使放心的，使消除疑虑的

and recent layoffs after opening 400 points down. The Dow has rebounded just a bit, but there you see it, down nearly half a percentage point

still.

ASHER: And fresh produce is already showing the impact of tariffs.

Natasha Chen joins us live now with the story. She is in California. I mean, here is the thing. We've been talking about the fact that fresh

produce is one of the areas that would be impacted right away by these tariffs.

[11:25:00]

I mean, there are other areas, like cars, laptops, toys, etc., that might take some time, but it really is fresh produce, especially when you think

about the fact that almost 90 percent or so of avocados come from Mexico. Take us through it, Natasha.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, I'm standing in the wholesale produce area of Downtown Los Angeles. This particular

business right here gets about 80 percent of its products from Mexico. I just spoke with the owner about the fact that there might be a delay in

these tariffs until April 2nd, the news that you just mentioned. He calls that a relief. But, it is quite a roller coaster, waking up every morning,

not knowing what news is going to hit. Right now, they are already seeing the effects of higher cost because of the tariffs starting Tuesday. For

example, the limes right there in those boxes, as well as the jalapenos over on your right hand side, those are all several dollars more per box,
 

lime [laɪm] n.【植】萊姆; 酸橙

jalapeno [͵hɑləˋpenjo] n.【植】墨西哥辣椒

as well as the tomatoes. So, they're already seeing this immediate effect.

Now, they are getting the pallets in the boxes of limes and avocados from the distributor, the importer across the street right there, Perez & Larios.

We spoke to them early this morning about the boxes they're bringing in. They're the ones actually negotiating the sale to get the

trucks in from Mexico. They have to pay that extra 25 percent right at the border. Here is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAIME HERRERA, PEREZ & LARIOS, AVOCADO IMPORTER & DISTRIBUTOR: It is hard to sleep at night because you're thinking, OK, how are we going to do this?

I go, are we going to have enough customers? A citizen like, you mentioned earlier, I see certainly on the streets. People are not buying. Consumers

are limiting themselves. And we're bringing in all these products, not knowing whether we're going to be able to sell it or not. And we're -- not

only that, but the savings that we have on the side, we're now bringing it out, because we have to pay those tariffs that we have to. It is to capitalize in
 

capitalize [ˋkæpət!͵aɪz] v. 供给（资本）

a little bit. And so, that's what's the concern is. Are we're going to get the capitalized really quick?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And the point there is that all of this is highly unpredictable, and I have not even discussed with him yet the latest news that these tariffs

might get put on hold until April. Right now, he is just trying to plan with the knowledge that the tariffs are currently existing. In fact, on

Monday, but before the weekend, he had known that the tariffs would hit on Tuesday. Tried to get in a lot of avocados before Tuesday. That's what's

currently sitting across the street.

So, all of these business owners are really just trying to deal with the information that they have. Of course, the people coming here to buy are

restaurant owners, catering truck owners, a food truck owner that we talked to, who said he gets his ingredients from here, and this means his tacos

have already gone up in price this week.

ASHER: Just so much uncertainty. I mean, the markets are feeling it as well. Business owners, grocery stores feeling it as well. Certain items are

going to go into effect right away. But, as Natasha mentioned, I mean, she didn't even get to talk to him about the fact that these tariffs are going

to get delayed. But still, all of that uncertainty is having effect on business companies.

GOLODRYGA: And even more head-scratching that this is an administration, a President that ran on lowering prices at the grocery store.
 

head-scratching 困惑

Natasha Chen, we're not seeing that happen now. Thank you so much.