Just days after imposing a 145% tariff on imports from China, President Trump announced that tech devices, such as smartphones and computers, are exempt from these tariffs. New guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveal 20 product categories — including smartphones, laptops, chips, and other essential electronics — exempted from the new tariffs.  But there are a number of categories that have already been impacted for  Wayne County residents.

AUTO DEALERS

Car dealers are getting an earful from customers concerned about the availability and price increases for their vehicle needs.

“Nearly every buyer is telling us they are concerned about whether they can even get a vehicle,” said Jim Keyes, salesman at VanBortel Chevrolet in Macedon. When the tariffs were first announced, manufacturers tried to get as many completed vehicles as possible off the lines and into the dealerships before the deadline, which was announced for April 3rd. A big uptick in buying is occurring with customers unsure how long they will have to wait after they order. Jim noted that there are multiple tariffs, depending on where parts come from and where the vehicle is assembled.  “Even with a 3 month pause on the tariffs for now, we are not sure if there will be delays or major price increases,” said Keyes. 

“The confusion is on both ends, buyers and sellers. Our inventory is light, because buyers want what is already on the lot. It is also getting harder to trade between dealers for cars or trucks in a different color or style.”  A valuable source of information comes on the price sticker of each vehcile, indicating place of assembly, where parts are made and what percentage of materials are made in the US or other countries.

REAL ESTATE

Home sales in Wayne County are consistently high, leading to uncertainty about price increases and lack of new housing or delays.

Tracy Zornow of Empire Realty Group notes that, while Wayne County home inventory is dwindling, sales are up. She indicates that a home offering she closed on last week saw 27 offers and an escalation of $150,000 on the purchase price.  

Frank Robusto of SellSmart Realty has seen that “rental prices are up, existing home prices are rising, and new building costs will definitely be affected, depending on how long the tariffs or threats off tariffs are upon us.” Inflation is also a concern for many home buyers. Frank noted that ranch homes in the Town of Ontario, for example, are going for $300,000-$400,000 just due to the lack of available homes.  

home construction/

Remodeling

John Graziose, partner/operator of Gerber Homes in Ontario noted that  tariffs will affect the wholesale level, so  suppliers will feel that. “We are good so far, with steel being mostly a home grown supply, but we are keeping an eye on lumber prices,” he said.

“Lumber, which comes from Canada, gives us a worry, but so far it is OK. Supplies and timing with custom home building is always a gamble, but we are not seeing a huge price impact on lumber yet.  The  government is mandating that the Federal Forest Service make use of downed timber and what we have domestically available first. Our suppliers,  Matthews and Fields Lumber, are able to supply us and they are really keeping on top of any issues.”

“We reach out and stay in constant touch with our suppliers for the latest news. I am seeing a future problem with businesses like appliance dealers. Most of our home builds do not include appliances, but it could be an after construction problem for home owners,” said John.

Hal Smith, owner of Halco Energy has been warned by suppliers that increases of 15-20% are definitely coming on heat pumps, water heaters and related supplies. "We have seen a 42% increase of refrigerants," he added.

solar panel INStallers

Luckily, under the Biden administration U.S. manufacturers were enticed to bring solar modules and battery energy storage production back home to mitigate tariff risks. Kevin Shulte, spokesperson for Green Spark remarked that “the last administration made such a concerted effort to bring and sustain solar companies and manufacturing in the U.S.  We are such a strong U.S. industry now.” In 2019, Qcells opened the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere in Dalton, Georgia. “If we had a clear and rational path it would not be as scary as this unknown roll out of tariffs,” said Shulte. 

“Because some of our supplies are anticipating problems, they have begun to institute increases now. "Steel and copper prices were down for the first few months of the year, but we see that increasing already.  Scheduling an installation without knowing supply or component pricing is a part of the industry, but our suppliers are being preemptive with increases. With our subcomponents, such as hardware, frames, any metals we use, we are anticipating maybe a 5-8% increase,” said Shulte.

FOODS

Prices for items such as seafood, coffee, wine, chocolate, nuts and cheese are all expected to rise. And if you’re tempted to grab a candy bar while you’re in the checkout line, you’ll probably have to pay more for that as well.

“At Tops we are watching and listening to understand the situation in order to best navigate whatever challenges tariffs might present and want to assure our communities we are well prepared to meet their grocery needs,”  said Tops Markets representative Kathy Sautter.

According to a story from NPR, food industry analyst Phil Lempert,  estimates that with the latest tariffs "probably almost half of the products in a supermarket — about 40,000 products — will be affected by these tariffs, whether it’s the entire product or just an ingredient."

Seafood: Some top sources: Chile (10%), India (26%), Indonesia (32%) and Vietnam (46%) are the largest suppliers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This category is likely to take a big hit because the U.S. imports the vast majority of its seafood — up to 85% according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — and several countries that supply fish and shellfish to the U.S. have been among the hardest hit by the tariffs.  Coffee: Top sources: Brazil (10%) and Colombia (10%), according to USDA. Fruits: Some top sources: Guatemala (10%), Costa Rica (10%) and Peru (10%). Guatemala and Costa Rica are leading exporters of bananas to the U.S. Guatemala also ships melons, plantains and papayas, according to USDA, while Costa Rica exports pineapples, avocados and mangoes. "These products don’t have a long shelf life, and with the tariffs, we’re going to face significant issues with both price and availability," Lempert says. Cheese: Top sources: Italy, France, Spain and the Netherlands (all subject to 20% EU tariff), according to USDA. Parmigiano-Reggiano, brie and Gouda could also see price rises. Nuts: Top sources: Vietnam (46%), Ivory Coast (21%), Brazil (10%), Thailand (36%), according to the World Bank. Cashews, pecans and macadamia nuts are likely to see the largest price increases.