NORTH CAROLINA — Sean Wilson is dreading an email he needs to write.
The owner of Fullsteam Brewery in Durham needs to bid out the construction of his upcoming taproom at the American Tobacco Campus. He knows the pricing is going to be high, given the rising cost of construction materials.
On top of that, the timing of the Trump administration’s trade war is not optimal for the veteran of Durham’s brewing scene.
Last year, Fullsteam’s rent tripled in downtown Durham, Wilson said, forcing him to close and find a better location.
Now, he’s facing a double whammy from tariffs, both on the cost of his construction materials as well as beer production from aluminum, steel and more.
“It ain’t easy right now being a small-business owner,” Wilson said.
Although he’s “cautiously pessimistic” and doesn’t quite know the full impact tariffs will have on Fullsteam in the future, he feels like he’s right on the precipice of some serious pain.
Read the full story on CBJ’s website here.
WATCH BELOW: ‘Share the culture’: Local business owner shares fears over tariffs
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