WRAL by Flynn Snyder

What is typically a space for beer tasting became the center of a roundtable discussion Thursday among Triangle small business owners about local impacts from President Donald Trump's tariffs.

U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, organized the conversation at Trophy Brewing Co., which saw business owners express concern, uncertainty and fear about the tariffs on U.S. trade partners.

"We're seeing it put out there and pulled back," said Trophy co-owner Les Stewart. "It's just the uncertainty that is the major, driving concern right now."

While many of the brewery's ingredients are domestically produced, Stewart says he relies on foreign manufacturers for product packaging. He notes associated costs for aluminum have risen 3-5%.

"Is that 3% going to turn into 15, 20, 22%?" Stewart said. "Those are the types of numbers that are really going to impact what we're able to pass a beer to the retailer for."

Ross called for lawmakers on Capitol Hill to "reassert" their authority over tariff policy.

"It is Congress' job to enact tariffs or to remove tariffs unless there is a national emergency," Ross said. "The Trump administration has concocted a national emergency in order to do this.”

The White House has said the tariffs are needed to combat U.S. national security threats, including drug trafficking. However, many economists predict they’ll increase prices for U.S. consumers.

Some Raleigh businesses owners are optimistic about the effects tariffs could have.

Apex Steel, a Raleigh-based steel fabricator, has seen a slight increase in demand for domestically fabricated products, said Bridgette Burks, the company’s president.

"Because of the demand, I'm hoping it pushes more to it, so we can get [readiness] quicker and also that it drives the prices down versus going up," Burks said.

Forty-seven percent of respondents to a recent Meredith Poll of North Carolina voters said they think tariffs will hurt their personal finances, while only 23% believe tariffs will help their wallets. Another 29% said they weren’t sure, but 53% said they doubt that the tariffs will have a positive impact on the economy.

At Trophy Brewing, Stewart expects to see widespread impacts to the price goods because of the tariffs.

"It really can change the price of what you pay at the grocery store for products that are made here in your own backyard," Stewart said.

Link to full article: https://www.wral.com/business/triangle-business-concerns-trump-tariffs-raleigh-brewery-april-2025/