Macon shop among many preparing for possible price hikes amid tariffs

The Georgia Chamber says fast-moving tariff changes are hurting businesses and urges lawmakers to support stability.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – As businesses throughout Georgia deal with the tariff impacts, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce is urging for calm and stability.

Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, hosted a call Wednesday to give advice and guidance on how businesses can handle day to day changes. He highlighted the importance of consistency in decision-making.

“We know how to pivot in difficult times,” he said. “Businesses are doing that. They just need stability. That’s what we’ve asked our friends in Washington: Give us enough runway to make the right decisions for the benefit of our employees and shareholders.”

While the chamber acknowledges the potential benefits of eliminating certain trade barriers, Clark is concerned about the rapid changes causing confusion for businesses.

“At the end of the day, changes must be made,” he said. “There are good ways to do this, and we can do that in a much more judicious process.”

The chamber encourages businesses involved in importing and exporting to utilize Georgia’s Foreign Trade Zones and explore alternative trade routes, including leveraging the state’s inland ports. For businesses heavily reliant on imports from China, Clark advises considering alternative supply chains. 

Local business owner Monique Huffman, co-owner of Fanboy Collectibles & Comics in Macon, shared her challenges. She says distributors are set to increase prices on supplies within weeks, yet the amount of the increase remains undetermined.

“It could be minor,” she said. “It could be, you know, two or three percent, or we could be looking at 15, 20%, which is a huge increase in costs.”

She says even though her distributors operate within America, they source goods from Chinese manufacturers. That means the price increases will likely affect you.

“That can increase costs on our end for those products, which is going to have to translate to higher costs for the individuals, for the consumers,” she said. 

The chamber recommends local businesses communicate with their legislators about the effects of these changes.