Long Island businesses are suffering from the federal government’s implementation of tariffs, with some that have been around for decades saying they are in danger of having to close.
U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Nassau County business owners gathered at Fun World in Carle Place on Friday, May 2, to address the economic situation affecting the country and cripling local businesses.
Suozzi said he supports the idea of tariffs, but the current restrictions placed by the Trump administration were not done in a way that was mindful of local businesses.
“Tariffs are appropriate in certain circumstances, but you have to do it in a way that’s not reckless, that is not throwing these businesses for a complete loop and putting them in serious financial harm,” he said.
Fun World has been located in Carle Place for nearly 40 years and was founded in 1963 after operating under a different name for four years prior. The company has supplied people with Halloween costumes, decor and more, as well as accessories for other holidays. Fun World is also responsible for creating the Ghost Face mask in the early 1990s, commonly associated with the Scream movie franchise.
Alan Geller, the owner of the company, said his business is profitable every year and can provide bonuses to employees. Geller said he already predicts Fun World won’t turn a profit in 2025.
“If the sudden and extreme tariff from China does not reverse, I may close the doors permanently,” he said.
Geller said the cost increase is passed along to his business and American consumers can expect to pay nearly three times as much for Halloween items.
President Donald Trump has executively levied tariffs against countries from across the world since taking office in January. Many countries have been slapped with a 10% to 25% tariff, but China is by far the outlier, as the United States has placed a 145% levy on the Asian country.
Wayne Sosin, a Woodbury resident and the president of Worksman Cycles, a bicycle manufacturer that has been around since 1898, said his business imports roughly 40% of its parts from China, as well as additional parts from across the world.
“We don’t want our government to come along and basically pull the rug out from under us,” he said.
Bernstein Display is a company that provides mannequins to many large retailers throughout the country, operating out of New York.
“It’s a cost to our business and our clients, and our clients are major retailers who don’t want to bear this cost because that increases their costs,” said
CEO Roger Friedman said. “So in turn, they’ll have to pass the cost on to their customers who are retail shoppers. It really put us between a rock and a hard place.”
All of the business owners said that they committed to orders placed for foreign goods that will cost drastically more than when the orders were initially placed.
Suozzi, a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said Congress has the authority to implement tariffs on other nations. He said it will take time for the courts to address the president’s executive actions, but that may not be enough to help local businesses survive.
“The problem is that these businesses are working in real time,” Suozzi said.
