📦 How Trump’s New Tariffs Could Affect Small Business Importers (Especially in Hawaii)
Trump recently announced new tariffs, and while it might sound like political news, it has real, immediate consequences for small business owners who import products — especially those importing to Hawaii.
As a small importer myself, I’ve been through this before. A few years ago, tariffs jumped overnight. I had to make a hard decision:
Raise prices and risk losing customers, or eat the cost and hurt my profit margins.
And if you operate from Hawaii — like I do — it hits even harder.
📦 A 10% tariff can feel more like 30% after you add overseas freight, inter-island shipping, storage, and local handling fees.
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🚨 Tariffs Don’t Crush Corporations. They Quietly Squeeze Small Importers.
Big brands negotiate better deals on everything — freight, customs, storage. Small businesses don’t.
We get squeezed on both sides:
• Higher costs to import
• Pressure to keep prices low to stay competitive
This is the kind of problem that can wipe out margin and cash flow overnight if you’re not prepared.
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✅ What You Should Do Right Now:
If you import from Vietnam, China, or anywhere overseas, now is the time to:
• Double-check your product margins
• Talk to your supplier and clarify cost flexibility
• Make room in your pricing strategy to absorb potential increases
• Run a scenario: “What if my cost goes up 10% next month?”
These conversations are the difference between being reactive and staying resilient.
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🧠 Real Talk from a Hawaii-Based Importer
Most people talking about importing are influencers or “gurus” selling dreams. I’m just a guy who built a real product business — NRORO Flooring — from the ground up.
I’ve made the mistakes.
I’ve felt the sting of unexpected tariffs.
And I’ve learned how to keep going.
If you want the real, no-BS perspective on importing, small business, and building from scratch — I’m here to share what’s actually working.
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📘 Grab my full guide:
Built from Scratch: How I Started My Business, My Brand, and My Life in Hawaii →
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