U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (second from right) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (second from left) talk with La Estrella Bakery's Isabel Montano (right).
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly paid a visit to the downtown Tucson area Sunday, talking with small business owners about what is affecting their businesses right now.
Many owners mentioned tariffs, and how they are already seeing prices go up, even if tariffs are not yet fully in effect for some countries.
"A lot of their products, not all of them but some, come from Mexico, come from China," said Sen. Kelly. "They're experiencing increasing prices on things. And on top of that, one woman in the clothing store here just mentioned how she's hearing from Canadian tourists about how they feel differently about coming to Arizona, coming to the United States."
Kelly made the visit along with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was a featured author at the Tucson Festival of Books Sunday evening.
"We know that the price of everything is hard for American families and American small businesses. We also know that a trade war is just going to make life more expensive whether you're buying agriculture from Mexico or lumber from Canada," she said.
"The President just took a sledgehammer to our economy with these unplanned, unthought-out tariffs," Sen. Kelly said.
Business owners also mentioned other economic factors that are also affecting them. Isabel Montano, general manager of La Estrella Bakery said her biggest concern is eggs, which have doubled in price this year.
"I can guarantee that before the summer we'll have to pass it along to the customer, which is upsetting to me because on the southside we have a lot of retired folks and low-income families," she said.
Montano said La Estrella Bakery is already increasing prices for its commercial customers to accommodate growing costs.
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