NYC shoppers stock up as Trump’s tariffs loom: ‘Pray to God that we all survive’
By Desheania Andrews and
Alex Oliveira
Published April 9, 2025, 7:18 p.m. ET
Thrifty Big Apple shoppers were rushing to stock up on the basics Wednesday after President Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs briefly went into effect — before he then announced a 90-day pause.
“Pray to God that we all survive,” said Angelia Gonzalez, a 48-year-old mother who was filling her cart at the East Harlem Costco.
“I feel some kind of way. I mean, I have a family.”
Gonzalez travelled across town from her longtime home in West Harlem to stock up at the wholesaler over fears that prices will soon skyrocket from Trump’s massive “reciprocal” tariffs, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Hours later, Trump, 78, abruptly reversed the levies for most countries, telling reporters at the White House that “yippy” critics and a “queasy” bond market were factors in the decision. The “Liberation Day” duties had wreaked havoc on the markets since they were announced on April 2.
The pause, however, didn’t apply to Chinese imports, with tariffs on the communist country heightened to 125% due to a “lack of respect” from Beijing.
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https://nypost.com/2025/04/09/us-news/nyc-shoppers-are-starting-to-stock-up-as-trumps-tariffs-start-to-bite-pray-to-god-that-we-all-survive/