How the tariff threat is impacting local Asian markets and convenience stores 

In President Trump’s tariff-for-tariff escalation with China, he announced Wednesday that he was upping the levy on goods from that nation to 125%. 

As Asian markets and convenience stores continue to grow in the Baton Rouge area, local store managers relying on imports from China and other Asian countries are uncertain about the future of their businesses in the wake of the increasing tariff threat. 

Minho Kim, general manager at Seoul Stop, a new Korean convenience store that opened on Florida Boulevard in March, sells food, drinks and snacks primarily from Korea and Japan. Kim says he was notified by his wholesaler today that some of the products’ prices will be raised by 15% with additional potential increases due to the tariff unpredictability. 

Kim has seen food prices fluctuate over the last few weeks but has yet to raise his in-store prices. 

“There’s not much we can do from our level,” Kim says. “We just get supply from the wholesalers or the manufacturers, and it’s up to them whether they will adjust to this current situation. We specialize in Asian foods. So we will have to sell them, but at a higher price, unless each of the companies has their own manufacturing facility within the U.S. or they change the source of the products they sell.” 

Vinh Phat Market, an Asian grocery store also on Florida Boulevard, sells goods from China, Vietnam and Thailand. Michael Thai, who manages the market, says he has already noticed rising prices and a limited supply of certain goods from his wholesalers. 

“It might put everybody out of business,” Thai says about the rising tariffs. “I don’t think anybody’s going to be able to afford what’s coming in. I don’t know what Trump is thinking. Hopefully he comes to his mind and we can work with other countries, but we’re just keeping our fingers crossed and trying to make the best out of it.”