DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County small business that specializes in high-end doors is being hit hard by the tariffs on Chinese imports.
“You can cut costs here and there, but you can’t cut anything 145%,” said Vernazza Home’s owner, Christina Allen.
Currently, 65 Vernazza doors, an entire shipping container, are at sea right now.
The tariffs on Chinese goods were skyrocketing while the products were in transit.
“Half of them are presold. We will lose money on those doors,” Allen said. “It affects every part of our business. It trickles down into everything. We’ve frozen hiring.”
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For two decades, Vernazza’s owner has sourced doors from the same Chinese factory. She told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray that there’s currently no American alternative.
So, for now, she’s putting all custom orders on hold.
“I’ve got customers bringing in blueprints. They’re building their dream house next year. I can’t give them a price today. So, we have to kind of say, hold off and wait,” Allen said.
For now, she’s focusing on selling the doors still in stock. Future container orders are on hold.
But the price of what is now a $4,000 door will likely have to go up to over $7,000 when she has to restock.
“The tariffs are on foreign goods, but the tariffs are paid by small business owners, and at the end of the day, consumers,” Allen said.
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