The price of clothes and sneakers —which we’ve spoken at length about— are steadily rising, but those are far from the only industry seeing a hit thanks to President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff war.
The growing list now includes hair care, especially for Black women, on everything from the hair itself to styling products, according to the Associated Press.
“Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products is imported from or has packaging from China,” reports the AP.
While India is also a major exporter of hair goods, Trump’s tariffs on China, which currently stand at 30% — down from the initially high rate of 145% — are affecting all hair-related materials. This added cost trickles down to customers, and everyone is already feeling the effects.
The AP spoke with Hawa Keita, a hairdresser at Eve’s African Hair Braiding located in the College Park section of Georgia, who is prepared to eat the added expenses. She knows that her customers can’t afford the price hike, having already seen her own bills jump, as a box of hair —which contains 100 packs each— has gone up from $250 to $300.
The problem extends beyond Georgia, as stylist Mitzi Mitchell, who owns PIC ONE Beauty Services in Pennsylvania, notes that the rising prices of hair care are doubly unfair because the average Black person’s salary of $56,490 is still trailing behind that of their white counterpart, $84,630.
“I’m really conscientious about my Black minority clients because we make a heck of a lot less than other nationalities,” said Mitchell. “I try to keep prices low so we can continue to have the same services, but I know I will have to raise it.”
Another salon runner, Janice Lowe, who heads up 5 Starr Salon in Georgia, has started to allow customers to bring in their own hair to cut costs, even though it could create quality control issues. At the same time, stylist Yana Ellis noted a $245 price hike on 52 bundles of hair when comparing prices from March to December. Stylist Dajiah Blackshear has also noticed the prices increase at her local beauty supply store, where a brand she uses is now $100 more.
Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert with experience in the hair care field, says that the price increases are first seen at the ports, and despite the tariff war waning, it could be a while before things settle because “Prices go up very fast and come down very slow.”
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