Tariffs worry shoppers at Asian supermarkets

LOS ANGELES — Loyal customers of Asian supermarkets and other grocery stores that specialize in selling imported food heaved a collective sigh of dismay when President Donald Trump announced extra-high US tariffs on goods from dozens of countries.

What would happen to prices at 99 Ranch Market and H Mart?, wondered Asian Americans and immigrants who shop at the two American chains for preferred brands like Japan’s Kewpie mayonnaise and China’s Pearl River light soy sauce.

“We’re all going to be crying in H Mart,” a TikTok user commiserated, referencing the title of a bestselling memoir by Korean American musician Michelle Zauner as other posters shared videos of their “pre-tariff hauls” from Asian supermarkets.

The steeper tariff rates Trump set for imports from nations he accused of unfair trade practices took effect first thing Wednesday along with a 10% baseline tax on products from the rest of the world. Less than 14 hours later, the president paused the individually set tariffs for every country except China for 90 days.

Several countries in Asia had some of the largest “reciprocal” levies, including South Korea (25%), Vietnam (47%) and Cambodia (49%). After China approved counter-tariffs and said it would fight a US trade war “to the end,” Trump raised the rate on Chinese goods to 104% and then to 125%.

At a 99 Ranch Market less than a mile from the UCLA campus, one of the California-based chain’s 58 stores, regular shopper Artis Chitchamnueng said he won’t be able to go anywhere else to find the foods he likes if prices skyrocket.

“I think (Trump’s) just like playing a lot of like mind games of just trying to like take control of the market and stuff like that,” Chitchamnueng, a part-time worker and entrepreneur, said. Many customers have said on social media they don’t know if they will be able to continue doing their routine grocery shopping at 99 Ranch Market.

Even if mainstream grocers stock some of the same items, a lot of imported items are less expensive at the specialty supermarkets. An 18-ounce bottle of Lee Kum Kee Panda oyster sauce, for example, retails for $3.99 at 99 Ranch. The websites for Safeway and Walmart list the same bottle for $4.79 and $10.45, respectively.

The stores stocking a wide range of noodles, dried vegetables, herbs and skin care products from China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam can be a source of comfort for immigrants and foreign students craving the tastes of home.

Tony He, an international student at UCLA, said Trump’s tariff policies confused him but he would continue shopping at 99 Ranch to get his groceries if prices increase. “As long as I need Asian food, I usually come here,” He said.

Shopping for culturally specific foods, drinks and condiments in the US has come a long way from the once-meager offerings found in the “ethnic food” aisles of American supermarkets. International supermarkets and small grocery stores across the country generated $55.8 billion in revenue last year, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

The sector has recorded an annual growth rate of roughly 3% since 2019, and an IBISWorld forecast predicted revenue for grocery stores with international brands would go up to over $64 billion by 2029.

Analysts attribute the increase in demand to the growth of Asian and Hispanic immigrant populations, as well as to the tastes of younger consumers who enjoy experiencing new flavors.