A Pittsburgh grocer braces for potential price increases amid U.S. tariffs "There's nothing we can do."
As the Trump Administration continues to push tariffs on certain countries and goods, Pittsburgh area businesses feel uncertain about the future.
Inside of Las Palmas in Beechview, the owner said at least 50% of their products come from Mexico. He and many other businesses have said they're bracing for the impacts of tariffs.
"There's nothing we can do, we gotta deal with whatever comes," said Gabriel Berument Cruz, the co-owner of Las Palmas.
Businesses like Las Palmas find themselves in the middle of a trade war after U.S. tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China took effect at midnight.
"Today's the start day, they are going up 25%, we didn't buy any product yet, the places we buy it, as soon as we buy them, then we're going to see how they raise up," Cruz said.
From chips to produce, half of the grocery store's products are imported from Mexico. In fact, Mexico is the largest supplier of fruit and vegetables to the United States - including tomatoes, avocados, raspberries, bell peppers, and strawberries.
Americans could soon find themselves paying more for those products.
"We buy the products, then we are going to see what's going on," said Target CEO Brian Cornell.
Cornell said, in an interview with CNBC, shoppers could see price increases within a few days. He also said he noticed a trend among shoppers.
"Consumer confidence has taken a downturn in recent weeks," he said. "I think there is some concern about tariffs and there's a number of Americans that understand what a tariff is, and what it might mean for them. I think that cautious shopping behavior we've seen for some time now continued in February."
Cruz said he'll keep his prices the same for now but that could change.
"Everybody has to deal with that, not just me," he said.
Like other companies, he hopes the Trump Administration reaches a deal with Mexico, China, and Canada soon.
