SAN ANTONIO – Local markets are intended to bring vendors from across communities together, such as the Peral’s Maker’s Market on Sunday morning.
Behind the scenes, however, vendors are divided on how to move forward amid tariffs.
Mira Matcha sources its matcha directly from Kyushu, Japan. Its owner, Marissa Gamez, said she has had to get creative in the face of tariffs.
At first, Gamez placed a fast-tracked bulk order of matcha in order to avoid the higher cost.
However, as the world has dealt with a matcha shortage, Gamez said she had no choice but to raise prices.
“The farms we’re working with were like, ’Hey, we need to mail this out by this date because if we don’t, it’s going to go from 15% to 24% to potentially 34%, and it was really scary,” she said.
President Trump recently signed an executive order, going into effect on August 29th, which will end the ‘de minimis’ rule. In the past, this has allowed shipments entering the United States worth less than $800 to enter duty-free.
“Honestly, I’m so glad that I decided to source locally and use beeswax from a bee farm,” said Hana Blain, owner of Bare Studios.
Other vendors said that sourcing their materials within the United States has made them well-positioned to compete in the market.
“It’s helped me because my prices haven’t changed,” said Dusty Pearson, owner of Dusty’s Saw Designs. “I choose to buy quality material because I try to produce a quality product for my client.”
Gamez disagrees that not sourcing locally means an inferior product.
“We put the time into the drink,” Gamez said. “We don’t take shortcuts.”
Gamez said her loyal customer base, who seek high-quality products, is keeping her afloat, along with events like the one held at the Pearl.
“I really don’t think we would be in the position that we are now without the Pearl,” Gamez said. “It’s such a great platform, and it’s such a community, and there’s just trust within San Antonio.”
For those looking to begin sourcing goods locally amid tariffs, Blain encourages entrepreneurs to do their homework before selecting vendors.
“Know your sources, know where they get their stuff, know how they make it, know who’s touching it, who’s making it, who’s shipping,” she said, “that’s your best bet.”
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