On a weekend marked by more tariff escalations from Washington, uncertainty is once again rippling through small businesses across the US.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would raise a new global tariff to 15 per cent, one day after announcing a 10 per cent worldwide duty following a ruling by the Supreme Court that struck down his previous tariff programme.
The decision came after the court found Mr Trump had exceeded his authority under an economic emergency law when imposing higher rates. The administration quickly responded by grounding the new tariffs in a different law, under Section 122, which allows duties up to 15 per cent but requires congressional approval to extend them beyond 150 days.
No president has previously invoked Section 122, and legal experts question whether the measure could face further challenges in court or resistance in Congress.
Amid the policy shift, small businesses that rely on imported ingredients are watching closely.
At Q by Peter Chang in Bethesda, Maryland, Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing even as tariff uncertainty continues to weigh on operations.
Peter Chang, an award-winning chef specialising in Szechuan cuisine, owns 21 restaurants across Virginia, Maryland, Washington and Philadelphia. He said tariffs have already forced price increases and made expansion more difficult.
“The tariffs imposed in 2025 caused a major impact on our restaurant,” he said. “Last year, our food prices increased by around 20 to 30 per cent.”
The restaurant imports its sauces, dry peppers and shiitake mushrooms from China. And the prices of eggs, chicken and other supplies that it buys in the US have also increased.
Mr Chang said menu prices were adjusted based on ingredient costs.
As the restaurant marks Lunar New Year, it is promoting traditional set menus designed around festive dishes. Prices for customers during the holiday period have been raised by about 10 per cent.
After the Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, Mr Chang is watching developments with cautious optimism but has not adjusted menu prices for now.
“What we mainly recommend are the personal set menus for Chinese New Year,” said Mr Chang who has introduced signature dishes from Wuhan in Hubei province, where he attended culinary school.
“We are offering dimsums, traditional whole fish and dishes from Wuhan, such as fish cakes and fish balls in broth.”
On March 1, the restaurant plans to hold an event to mark the spring festival, featuring Chinese calligraphy and food.
“The prices that we serve to customers for Chinese New Year currently only increased by around 10 per cent because of tariffs,” Mr Chang added. “If I don’t increase, it will be hard for me to make a profit.”
The uncertainty has also affected his expansion plans.
“I usually have a personal goal of opening two to three new restaurants a year but now because of the tariffs, I am afraid to open because of the high prices. Labour, investment, food, everything is more expensive, so I am afraid to expand.”
He said he continues sourcing ingredients through importers and Chinese grocery suppliers, hoping that stability will eventually return.
“It has been really difficult for us recently to make a profit, but I have confidence in my whole team that we will do everything right.”
For Mr Chang and many other small business owners, shifting tariff policies in Washington continue to shape decisions made far beyond the capital, from pricing menus to planning the future.
