WINTER PARK, Fla. — Business owners in Central Florida say they are already thinking about how President Donald Trump’s increase on tariffs will affect them if they buy directly from companies overseas.
Sarah Tomlinson owns the Mix Showroom, a wholesale showroom based out of Dallas that sells clothes to shops in Orange County.
She tells Spectrum News that she is nervous and cautious, but optimistic for the future.
“Everything will have a little bit of an increase until it’s figured out,” said Tomlinson.
She buys clothes made in China, India, and some European countries. Then, she sells her items to retailers.
Tomlinson says her buyers are canceling orders because they are unsure of what will happen next. On Wednesday, Trump issued a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, with the exception of China.
“What’s in the stores right now are not at all affected by tariffs," Tomlinson said. "It’s what’s coming in a month, six months, where you’re going to see a possible fluctuation in the cost of your goods."
Staff at Be On Park, located on Park Avenue in Winter Park, purchase items from the Mix Showroom.
“We have faced so many changes, increases in price when it comes to the price of gold, different materials, but I think we’ve still been so successful because we have these great relationships with our vendors and our clients,” said Heather Cunningham, the store's director of business development and marketing.
Tomlinson said the process will affect everyone, whether they are a wholesale buyer or a customer. She believes consumers will feel the extra costs by the end of the year.
“Every aspect, whether you’re the manufacturer getting your goods from China, to the store that’s purchasing, to the consumer, there’s going to be a little absorption of costs down the way,” she said.
