SCHUMER: SAVE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES FROM TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR; STANDING AT ALBANY’S YONO’S RESTAURANT WITH CAPITAL REGION BUSINESSES THAT ARE SEEING MAJOR PRICE INCREASES HURTING FAMILIES & LOCAL JOBS, SENATOR ANNOUNCES SENATE DEMS WILL FORCE VOTE TO END TRUMP TARIFFS
Albany’s Renowned Yono’s Restaurant Is In Panic Over Trump’s Tariffs That Threaten Their Business, And Small Businesses & Manufacturers In Capital Region Like Latham Pool Are Already Seeing Costs Spike From Trade War With Canada
Senator Says 14,000 NY-ers In The Capital Region Work In Industries Directly Impacted By Tariffs, And Albany Families Could See Prices Rise Nearly $5,000 More A Year
Schumer: We Need To Save Our Restaurants & Small Businesses From Trump’s Tariff War That Is Raising Prices And Killing Jobs
To kickstart National Cost of Living Week of Action, with Trump’s tariff war hammering Albany’s restaurants and small businesses, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood at Albany’s renowned Yono’s Restaurant with Capital Region small business leaders who are feeling major hits to their bottom line due to tariffs. The senator said this chaotic, self-destructive tariff war has Upstate NY restaurants, local businesses, and working- and middle-class families footing the bill, with the average family in the Capital Region estimated to be hit with nearly $5,000 in higher prices per year.
Schumer said every day this chaos continues it risks more than 14,000 jobs in the Capital Region in industries impacted by the tariffs and even more jobs in Upstate NY’s vital recreation and tourism industries. Schumer said enough is enough, and announced that when the Senate returns he will force a vote to end Trump’s trade war.
“Albany and the Capital Region are on the frontlines of Trump’s destructive tariff war. Let’s be clear: these tariffs are a tax increase on Upstate NY. Family restaurants are the heart and soul of the Capital Region and the backbone of Main Streets across Upstate New York. They are still recovering from the pandemic. They can’t afford to eat price increases when Trump slaps them with tariffs and neither can their customers. Small businesses and manufacturers have already seen costs skyrocket, and some are being hit with a double whammy as tourism & business from Canada dries up from Trump’s actions. No small business or restaurant in Upstate NY or anywhere in America can operate with this kind of uncertainty,” said Senator Schumer. “We need to save our restaurants & small businesses from Trump’s tariff war. That’s why when the Senate returns, I will force a vote to end this reckless trade war. This is a vital ingredient to protect restaurants and families throughout the Capital Region and across Upstate New York.”
Schumer explained Capital Region restaurants were already hit hard by the pandemic and many are still trying to recover. Schumer explained that restaurants operate on some of the slimmest margins – typically 3 to 5 percent – which could shrink more as tariffs go into effect. Since ingredients are perishable, restaurants don’t have the option of stockpiling materials and they can’t change suppliers on a whim. With the threat of tariffs looming, prices across the board have increased and restaurant owners are worried that customers can’t afford to go out to eat anymore. Without business, they might not be able to recover and would be forced to lay off staff, or worse, close their doors.
A New York Times analysis found that over 14,000 New Yorkers across the Capital Region including 4,400 in Albany County work in industries targeted by Trump’s tariffs, which does not even account for all the related jobs, including in the tourism and recreation industries, that are also being impacted by the damage of this trade war. According to the Main Street Alliance, a network of small businesses, 81.5% of small business respondents to a recent survey indicated they would raise prices for consumers due to tariffs and 31.5% indicated they would lay off employees as a result of the increased costs from tariffs.
The tariffs are also creating uncertainty for families and jobs and are expected to increase costs for the average American family by nearly $5,000 a year, while families are struggling to plan for the future without assurances about their jobs.
Yono’s Restaurant has Indonesian influences and relies on spices and fruits that are not widely produced domestically, such as coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, chilies, and galangal. Without knowing how much they will cost, it is impossible for Yono’s to plan its menu, which they often shift seasonally, and now they do not know which products they can maintain a consistent, affordable supply of. In addition, as the market has shifted to more takeout and delivery options, Yono’s has relied on imported containers and bags that are already more expensive and could get more expensive with tariffs in effect.
The senator said unpredictability makes it difficult for local restaurants to plan for tomorrow, especially when they are already operating on such small margins. For example, when asked about catering orders, owners aren’t sure how to quote orders and are faced with the option of facing sky-high prices when planned events roll around, or even needing to turn down customers. These added challenges make it more difficult for small restaurants to survive against larger chain restaurants.
“Here at Yono’s we support an immense amount of USA grown meats, vegetables, cheeses, beer, spirits and wine. However our guests appreciate a broad amount of options. We use coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, chilies, galangal, and pandan. These items are not able to be grown in the USA, let alone in the amounts we need. We also import lamb from New Zealand and Australia. Of course, he biggest items imported that affect us will be coffee (99.5% of the coffee consumed in the USA is imported). We can only grow coffee in Hawaii in this county. Even our fine wine glasses come from Austria,” said Dominick Purnomo, of Yono’s Restaurant.
Schumer added, “If this tariff war continues, it could devastate Upstate NY’s economy in ways we haven’t seen since the height of the pandemic. Our local restaurants and other small businesses are already operating on razor thin margins and now they’re being forced into difficult decisions, including if the increase in costs means they will need to raise prices for customers, lay off staff, or even close their business altogether. That is unacceptable.”
“New York State restaurants have faced immense challenges in recent years. From the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the soaring price increases driven by inflation and the rising cost of living, many restaurants have fought to stay afloat. The implementation of these new tariffs is yet another blow to an already struggling industry. Tariffs on food and beverages will place an additional strain on restaurants, ultimately leading to higher prices that will be passed on to consumers. Restaurants are not only a cornerstone of New York State's economy but also serve as essential gathering places for communities to come together and enjoy each other's company. Simply put, the tariffs are just an unnecessary burden on an industry barely hanging on. We urge the Administration to control consumer price increases as much as possible by exempting food and beverage items from future tariffs,” said Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.
Other businesses across industries are also facing uncertainty. Latham Pool, the largest designer, manufacturer, and marketer of in-ground residential swimming pools in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, has called the Capital Region its home for nearly 70 years. Latham Pool has 1,500 employees including 300 in New York State, mostly in the Capital Region. Tariffs on foreign goods – especially aluminum and steel - are impacting Latham Pool’s ability to serve its customers and his company along with so many others are deeply fearful of customers pulling back. We are already seeing these fears manifest across America as consumer confidence is cratering and is the lowest it has been in years due to tariffs.
Latham Pool estimates that 15-20% of their materials are sourced from overseas and will be impacted by the tariffs. Worse, they are impacted by the devolving trade relationship with Canada, where the Canadian reciprocal tariff now disadvantages their products for sale in Canada, which has been a strong market for them.
The whiplash and uncertainty over tariffs have also sent the economy into a tailspin. Trump previously delayed the start of his tariffs twice and canceled across-the-board tariffs six days after implementing them. Uncertainty is causing the stock market to fall, causing chaos for restaurants to operate, and shaking the job market.
Schumer said the Senate has a plan to end this dangerous trade war and protect Upstate NY businesses. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution to end tariffs on Canada and urged the House to pass it as well. Schumer also said when the Senate returns, he will force a vote to reverse these new taxes of 10% on all imported goods and end the looming threat of additional tariffs of up to 49% on products Americans buy from other countries. Schumer said ending this costly trade war is key to protecting New York from price increases and job losses as a result of tariffs on Canada.
Schumer concluded, “I am all for addressing trade imbalances—I have always been a China hawk and have long fought against unfair trade practices, but these sweeping, ill-conceived tariffs are creating chaos and undermining those goals. Rather than uniting the world against China, Trump has united them against us! No matter which way you slice it, costs are going to skyrocket for our local restaurants and consumers. If you’re in Upstate New York, you’ll feel it first, and worse than just about anywhere in the country. We need everyone, especially NY Republicans, to stand up against Trump’s senseless, job-killing, cost-increasing tax on Upstate New Yorkers.”
When the Senate returns, it will vote on a bipartisan resolution that would terminate the emergency declared by Trump to authorize his global tariffs. If the resolution is enacted into law, the tariffs would be rescinded. The Senate also previously passed a bipartisan resolution terminating Trump’s national emergency that is justifying his destructive tariffs on Canada, which Schumer said the House needs to vote on. Schumer has been a vocal supporter of both resolutions.
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