ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump’s new tariffs officially went into effect at midnight on Saturday. The president hopes the move will improve the economy and force companies to buy and sell more within the U.S. However, bar owners and consumers across downtown Orlando say this could be the death sentence for businesses struggling to keep things afloat.
“I have to pregame more at home because I can’t have a good time out at the bar because it’s too expensive,” said Lexi Gilmore, who visited a bar downtown on Friday.
The added 10% fee will be applied to all products, including alcohol. President Trump has vowed to impose even more tariffs on countries that decide to retaliate and impose fees of their own. One of them is China, which has already hit back with a 34% tariff on all American products.
The looming trade war is hitting the stock market. The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all lost more than 5% percent on Friday, taking a nosedive for a second day in a row, leaving consumers on edge. “Going out, we used to be able to have a good night and spend like maybe 30-40 dollars,” Gilmore said. “Now it’s like $100 if you want to get a couple drinks. Especially mixed drinks,” said Mackenzie Rice, who was also in downtown on Friday.
The new tariffs are also hitting Orlando businesses especially hard. Downtown bar and restaurant owners say it’s been so tough to manage the challenges that many of them were forced to close. “It was booming. A lot of different things open, a lot of things to do,” Deandre Barksdale, who was also in downtown Friday, said.
Tariffs are not the only new challenge for the downtown nightlife. The city is now limiting how close bars can be to one another and requiring a new permit for alcohol sales after midnight.
“I get they want to make things safer, and make it more of an attraction, but if you take out the bars, take out the lounges, what is there to be attracted to. That’s what people want, to come out and have fun.” Barksdale said.
The city says the measures will help keep downtown safe for everyone, but some businesses think they could do more harm than good—and a group of them is already working on a lawsuit to fight back.
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