Ms Ghazarian says she may have to raise her prices this year, but worries it could backfire. “There is a price point where the customer is satisfied with the value of goods provided.
“The moment I shift above that I start to lose customers. High inflation has squeezed Americans.”
During Mr Trump’s first term, companies such as Apple successfully secured exemptions for products, and we may yet see carve-outs.
Insiders have also suggested Mr Trump views tariffs as a negotiating tactic and could ease them if he wins concessions, as he did when China agreed to buy more American goods in a deal reached in 2020.
Fears of a US economic slowdown could also make him change course.
For the time being, though, tensions look likely to escalate. China, Mexico and Canada have vowed to retaliate against any US duties imposed on them, and this week Mr Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium only to row back at the last minute.
He plans to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on the rest of the world soon, and threatened tariff increases of up to 60% on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail.
There is a risk this could drive up the price of tech goods around the world if China is forced to relocate manufacturing to countries where labour costs are higher. Moreover, countries may hit back with tariffs on imported US technology.
Ms Ghazarian says she is worried but at least she’s prepared this time. Like many other US business-owners she bulk-ordered extra inventory before Mr Trump took office, and is storing it in her east coast warehouse.
She hopes that will get the company through the next year until it can “pivot” again.
“That might mean finding a more cost-effective way to produce the product or doing something completely different. It’s frustrating I have to focus on survival rather than growing my business.”
