Small shop owners will struggle to cover tariff costs, businessman warnspublished at 20:45 British Summer Time
Caitriona Perry
Chief presenter, reporting from Ohio
A giant Darth Vader greets customers to Alter Ego Comics in downtown Lima, Ohio.
This store is a mecca for collectors and its owner, Marc Bowker, ships his figures, replica models, comics and books right across the US.
The only things made in America in the store, he jokes, are he and his co-worker.
All his products come from abroad – the figures and collectibles from mostly China, the majority of the comics are printed in Canada.
He’s already had what he calls “tariff emails” coming from a variety of manufacturers, warning of increases in prices from 14% to 35%.
He’s regretfully, he says, going to have to pass some, if not all of those costs, onto his customers.
“Small retailers like me, we can’t absorb all of the tariff fees that are being passed on…
