By Chris Ponce

San Diego Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) alongside Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) held a press conference on Wednesday regarding passed tariffs. 

Last week, the Trump administration set high tariffs on dozens of countries, according to the Associated Press. In response, Peters and Jacobs met with San Diego business owners at Cesar Chavez Park to discuss the local impact.

The representatives said recent tariffs have led to businesses passing off new costs to consumers. Jacobs said these changes directly impact San Diego. 

“Sometimes when we talk about tariffs it can feel a little abstract, like numbers on a spreadsheet or headlines we see, but that’s not the case for us in San Diego,” Jacobs said.

Peters said Americans are already struggling with the cost of living and that tariffs are “making America weaker, not great again.”  

Business leaders and owners across the county joined the representatives, including: Chris Cate from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Michael Farrington with Corza Medical Nikia Clarke from the World Trade Center, Dan Clark with Dan Clark Audio and Brian Miller with Geppettos Toys.   

“Tariffs hurt our regional economy,” Cate said. “They cost jobs, reduce investment, raise prices for families and undermine the cross-border economic engine that helps make our region the best place to live and work and a model of binational cooperation.” 

Dan Clark Audio has always been manufactured locally in San Diego. However, Clark shared that since they are a small business they had to raise prices due to the new tariffs.

“As a small business, we can’t just absorb the cost of tariffs, so we will have to raise our prices,” Clark said. “Instead of helping us as a US manufacturer, tariffs may well cripple our export business.”