The U.S. government’s tariff changes threaten San Antonio’s historic market, prompting vendors to consider their futures.
SAN ANTONIO — The Historic Market Square is feeling the pressure from the latest move by the U.S. government with tariffs.
Today, the U.S. ended a rule that allowed small packages from overseas to skip tariffs.
Vendors at the Historic Market say this could force prices up even more and possibly lead to decisions they don’t want to make.
Every vendor is facing an uncertain future. President of the Farmers Market Association, Yvette Ramirez, says if this trend continues, she doesn’t know what the future of the historic market will be
“All these small businesses are in crisis mode and we’re just trying to survive,” Ramirez said.
With 90 percent of imports for Ramirez’s vendors expected to increase, she foresees inevitable hard choices coming.
“For these small businesses to raise their prices, which becomes a trickle-down issue…where the businesses have to redirect themselves and possibly do layoffs,” she said.
A choice, Ramirez says, would change over 100 employees’ lives at the Historic Market. She says even the wholesaler is impacted.
“I’ve gone to pick up merchandise, and they’ve said no one is bringing merchandise across the border.”
This limits her vendors and, in turn, impacts the consumer.
Part of the Historic Market since 1996 – Ramirez says this is the worst she’s ever seen it, but she isn’t giving up.
“San Antonio’s made up of small businesses, everyone started with a dream – we had a dream we could do this, and a lot of us have continued – a lot of us would like to stay longer to show other people who come to San Antonio all of the different cultures we have in San Antonio.”