LEWES, Del. - Shoppers on the coast may soon feel the impact of newly imposed tariffs — not just at the checkout counter, but in their living rooms.
On Wednesday, President Trump ordered a 90-day pause on new tariffs, with the exception of China. He also raised tariff rates on China to 125 percent, after China announced retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. President Trump says he's lowered the "reciprocal tariff" rate on all countries to 10 percent.
Marlene Lusk, owner of Furniture Gallery in Lewes, said the price of couches and other home furnishings could rise as tariffs affect both domestic and imported products.
“A lot of my companies are domestic,” said Lusk. “However, even with domestic companies, they often import parts — or in the case of upholstery furniture, they may import fabric or things like that.”
One local shopper echoed the concern.
“I am very worried about tariffs, and I truly believe it is going to boil down, or trickle down, to the customer,” she said. “I mean, what other way can they do this?”
Lusk said she sees potential long-term benefits.
“I think it’s put more Americans to work, increased business in American production facilities and evened the playing ground a little bit — maybe — but it’s going to take time,” said Lusk.
Furniture Gallery plans to buy more products domestically moving forward, and Lusk encourages customers to shop local as well.
“I encourage all people to purchase large items, like furniture, locally because it’s just likely to have fewer problems,” she said.
