Small business owners in West Seattle gathered at Gary’s Place on Alki Beach, for a crucial roundtable discussion on the profound impacts of federal tariffs and trade policy. Hosted by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), the meeting convened local entrepreneurs, community leaders, and state officials, including NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa and WA State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen. The aim was to facilitate a direct conversation, allowing businesses to share their experiences with leaders who can advocate for them.
Key Participants and Purpose
Rachel Porter, Executive Director for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the chamber’s role in connecting the small business community with elected officials to hear directly about issues like tariffs and economic development. Lindsay Wolpa, with the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), is a Senior Manager of Strategic Projects and a past board chair for the chamber, highlighted the Northwest Seaport Alliance as a joint operating venture partnership between the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma, now in its tenth year, working collaboratively for the entire region.
Toshiko Hasegawa, NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President, acknowledged the severe impact of tariff uncertainty on businesses. She explained that while the Port Authority oversees terminal operations and maintains partnerships throughout the supply chain (ocean carriers, truckers, beneficial cargo owners, and federal regulators), they have “very little autonomy or ability to do anything directly about the tariffs”. However, their mission is to advocate for sensible trade policies, strengthen international relationships, and support businesses with critical information. She stressed that small businesses are “one of, if not the most important part of the local job economy” and are “the hardest hit by significant policy shifts”.
Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen underscored the state’s inherent trade dependence. He noted that the Commerce agency manages nearly 500 programs, with substantial funding dedicated to small businesses, including initiatives like a small business resiliency network. Nguyen affirmed the state’s inability to “mitigate the global economic fight” but committed to understanding day-to-day operations and streamlining processes to help. He expressed the Governor’s keen interest in these efforts, highlighting a recent press conference regarding federal impositions.
Businesses Detail Tariff Impacts
The session kicked off with a direct question: “How have each of your businesses experienced impacts since the federal administration’s initial tariff announcements in early April?”.
• Princess and Bear Wines (South Park): Experienced delays importing wines, particularly affecting their wine club services, preventing them from providing timely services and impacting customer retention.
• Dave McCoy, Emerald Water Anglers: Noted that “120 of [his] 140 vendors have upped their prices between 3 and 11% since this tariff war began”. Manufacturers are absorbing some costs but have guaranteed price increases starting in 2026. This means “less money being made” and a need for “more volume” to stay afloat due to high local costs.
• Greg Whittaker, Mountain to Sound Outfitters: In the sporting goods business, which buys six months in advance, they are seeing “price changes after the published pricing,” forcing them to absorb these increases. He also mentioned the concept of “MAP” (Minimally Advertised Pricing) where manufacturers dictate advertising prices, affecting retailer margins.
• Chris Mackay, West Seattle Junction Association Executive Director: Shared anecdotes from other local businesses:
◦ Matador (Mexican restaurant): Seeing tequila prices rise, but the owner is “eating it” because “nobody wants a $20 margarita”.
◦ Lisa at Capers (furniture, decor and housewares): Her metal furniture, likely from China, faced a potential “50% increase,” leading her to halt ordering for the next summer due to unpredictable costs.
◦ Sleepers in Seattle (furniture): Illustrated the complexity of the supply chain, where sofa feet made in Mexico are shipped to Finland for assembly before import to the U.S.. Mackay reiterated that the “uncertainty was the thing that was really killing them”, with most expecting price increases to be passed on to consumers by fall.
• Kim Medica, Brocante Beach House (French imports): Purchased items in France but is “letting it sit there” and “paying storage” because she has “no idea when [she] should bring it across” due to the unpredictability.
• Matt and Elyssa Cichy, Gary’s Place/West Seattle Arcade: Faced budget overruns. For new equipment, they were told, “‘If you want it, get it now because the next ones we bring over are going to be $2 or $3,000 more a piece'”. This forces them to “blow our budget” and stockpile items like stuffed animals (to award as prizes) to avoid tariffs, storing them in their homes or other storage units. Their annual budget is “completely bonkers”.
Supply Chain Operations and the Need for Certainty
When asked about their interaction with the global supply chain, business owners highlighted the extreme complexity and the dire need for certainty.
• Dave McCoy described the journey of a single fly rod: “aluminum that’s used to make the reel seats that might be manufactured in Korea… the aluminum from Canada… gets shipped there, then it gets shipped from Korea to Mexico to be assembled or gets shipped to the US to be assembled”. He feels he has “no control” and noted that even supporting closer neighbors like Canada and Mexico means being “penalized even more” due to tariffs.
• Greg Whittaker tries to “plan a little bit ahead” by buying in bulk when an “opportunity buy” arises, such as purchasing paddles sitting in an Oregon warehouse.
• For the arcade, equipment is manufactured in China and Japan. The Cichy’s said they are now buying “as soon as we can” to “get ahead of whatever, kind of because we don’t know what kind of things we’re going to see in the future”. This unpredictability turns business operations into a “gamble”.
The consensus was clear: what businesses need most is “Certainty.” “I don’t even know how you answer that,” said Dave McCoy, when asked what information he needed.
Human Impact on Dock Workers
Dan McKim, President of the International Longshore Warehouse Union’s Washington Area District Council, shed light on the impact on dock workers. He emphasized, speaking to the local busineses that “my job depends on you,” highlighting that imports and exports are the “bread and butter” for longshore workers.
• He recounted the impact of the last trade war on the apple market, which plummeted from 2 million boxes a year to 85,000, recovering only to be impacted again.
• McKim stated, “the uncertainty is the worst part,” leading to an “extreme we haven’t seen in my career”.
• The human impact means workers “not making their car payments, not making their house payments”. Many will be on unemployment, especially during slower winter months, as cargo is depended on year-round. He echoed the businesses’ plea: “We just need certainty”.
Employee and Customer Challenges
Business owners also shared the ripple effect of these economic pressures on their employees and customers.
• Dave McCoy hears from employees who say, “I can’t afford to live here.” While minimum wage increases aim to help, they “continue to ratchet up” local costs, making it harder for businesses to pay employees and afford product. He noted a “frustration with just lapses in availability of product” which hinders sales.
• Julie Mierzwiak, owner of Real Fine Coffee, confirmed that “a lot of people have to work two jobs, three jobs to try to afford living here because it’s so ridiculously expensive”. She described the general feeling as “scary” due to the uncertainty.
• A West Seattle Chamber membership survey shared by Rachel Porter revealed that businesses are having a hard time attracting and retaining customers. Customers are becoming “risk averse,” “saving money more,” and “eating at home” or “making coffee at home,” opting for free activities like “walks on the beach” over luxury or discretionary spending. Businesses also struggle with employee retention due to barriers in providing healthcare and other incentives, compounded by rising commercial and residential rent.
Business Viability and Future Plans
The overwhelming sentiment among business owners was the difficulty of long-term planning amidst such volatility.
• Owners feel they are “gambling” with their livelihoods instead of investing in retirement. Dave McCoy admitted his business model has become “every 6 months taking out a loan” just to “stay level and sleep at night”.
• The situation is “terrifying” and “not what I signed up for,” reflecting a shared sentiment among the “passion businesses”.
• Greg Whittaker noted that the uncertainty “decreases innovation,” as manufacturers are not producing as much cutting-edge material.
Community Resilience and Support Systems
Despite the challenges, a strong sense of community support emerged.
• Chris Mackay highlighted the role of the West Seattle Junction Association and the Chamber in organizing events like the Harvest Festival and Winewalk, which bring “65 to 70,000 people a year into the junction”. These events are designed to “get people in front of these businesses” and encourage them to spend locally. The Junction Association also provides crucial services like cleaning crews, removing “3,000 tags a year” and picking up “37,000 pounds of garbage a year”. Mackay stated these organizations provide a vital “support system” that businesses, already “maxed” with their daily operations, desperately need.
• Matt Cichy the co-owner of Gary’s Place chose West Seattle for its community and actively collaborates with other small businesses, always directing customers to West Seattle businesses to keep dollars spent within the community. “The value of keeping every dollar spent an hour is probably one of the most important things that you can do, especially as people spend less,” he said.
• Dave McCoy attested to the “invaluable” help from Chris and the Junction Association in disseminating information about loans and opportunities, which he would not have found otherwise. He also stressed the importance of messaging at events about “the importance of keeping their dollars spent here” and illustrating how those dollars “reinvestment in the community” through services like police, fire, and schools.
Lessons Learned and Calls for Action
Reflecting on past trade wars and the pandemic, the discussion shifted to lessons learned and future solutions.
• Joe Nguyen from the Department of Commerce identified a statewide need for programs to address these issues, noting similar dynamics in other Washington communities. He considered options like “more certainty, access to capital, information, driving more industries to key places, having what would the events can we sponsor some events”.
• Business owners turn to organizations like the Chambers, Junction Association, and GSBA for information on grants and relief. Rachel Porter emphasized that filtering and disseminating this information is a “core function” of the chamber, especially when “trust eroding on a national level”.
• Toshiko Hasegawa affirmed the Port’s role in using these stories to fuel “continued advocacy at the federal level, state level and also at the local level”. She highlighted the Port’s commitment to job creation, noting that “one out of four jobs statewide relating straight back to the supply chain”. She confirmed future trips to Washington D.C. to communicate the “direct impacts that their policy is having on everyday people”.
Sales Downturn Across Industries
Responding to a question from Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, a business reporter with the Seattle Times, about whether sales are down across industries:
• Dave McCoy confirmed, “My worst year in 10 years since this last year”.
• Greg Whittaker reported, “Tourism down 15%. Retail down like 30.”.
• Another participant echoed, “Almost exactly that number”.
Wrap Up
The roundtable vividly illustrated the immense pressure on West Seattle’s small businesses due to federal tariff policies and broader economic uncertainty. From rising product costs and unpredictable supply chains to declining customer spending and employee retention challenges, businesses are struggling to maintain viability. While they demonstrate remarkable resilience and rely heavily on local community support and organizations like the West Seattle Chamber and Junction Association, the overriding need is for “certainty” and sensible, stable trade policies from federal and state governments. The stories shared will be used to fuel continued advocacy, aiming to ensure these vital contributors to the local economy can not only survive but thrive.
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