Since Trump’s tariffs went into effect in May, Diaspora Spice Co. has paid $19,744 in tariffs. This week, Trump announced that he would proceed with a 25% tariff on ALL goods from India. This means by the end of the year, in order to bring the world’s best spices to American consumers, spices that do not and cannot grow in the USA, we will have to pay close to $100,000 in tariffs to the US government.
Before I get deeper into this, I'd like to announce that we're offering free shipping site-wide (domestically in the US) this weekend (Aug 2nd-3rd) so you can stock up on your faves. Y'all continuing to shop from us, and stocking your kitchen with truly delicious, high quality spices, is what keeps us going even in the hardest of times.
Now, getting back into it. I have three main thoughts:
- We need spices. A month ago, I had a reporter tell me that our spices are “exotic” flavors that the “average” American consumer can do without. I couldn't disagree more. Coriander is a key ingredient in hot dogs, cinnamon in apple pie, and vanilla in ice cream. These are all flavors we know and love, and none of those ingredients grow in America.
- Where food comes from matters. Black pepper is indigenous to the west coast of India, which means it’s grown there for thousands of years and CANNOT grow domestically in America. What the finest champagne is to France, or Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese is to Italy, black pepper is to India. If you want a delicious, global pantry that reflects America’s diverse tastes, it’s time to start understanding where our food comes from.
- Lastly, these tariffs will affect you and me, the everyday American consumer. It will make inflation worse, and it will make our food choices more expensive, more limited, and frankly, far less delicious. For our business, this means that despite the fact that we have said we'd do everything we can to not raise prices, I'm no longer sure we can stay afloat with our current prices and the tariffs.
So what can you do right now? Stock up at our current prices with free shipping this weekend (Aug 2nd-3rd). We could use the cash reserves as we weather this. We are still wildly hoping for an exemption, but in all honesty, like many business owners, we are incredibly nervous, and working hard to make the math math against mounting odds. Thank you as always for the support and for being in community with us. We’ll keep updating y'all as things develop.
Bringing the most beautiful spices from the best farms across South Asia to your home kitchens is the absolute privilege of my life. I continue to believe that this is just the beginning 💛
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Diaspora Co. 6631 Saroni Drive Oakland, California 94611 |
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