WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Although President Trump agreed to pause any tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month, Utahns are still in a holding pattern to see what happens with products from China, and they're not sure exactly what to anticipate.
In West Valley City, customers are shopping for new and pre-owned cars at Ken Garff.
“I wanted to get in and just see what I can do before they hit and the prices go up,” said customer Deanna Edwards.
With her current lease up at the end of the coming month, Edwards wanted to get a deal done Monday.
“I knew it would impact me one way or another,” Edwards said. “I knew it would. Just my middle-class status, it makes a big difference in that.”
Utah political leaders acknowledge possible tariffs would have an impact:
At Ken Garff West Valley Dealership, they’re not sure how or when potential tariffs could impact their business.
“We have a few customers who have orders that have called in to make sure they’re not going to get a tariff charged to their order,” explained general manager Chad Rigby. “A few people bought this weekend, wanting to beat the rush, but as of today we honestly don’t know.”
Rigby has been in the business for more than 35 years and said he’s seen changes constantly. While the dealership gets most of its cars in the U.S., Rigby estimates about one-third are made in Canada or Mexico.
“Obviously, if there was a 10 or 20 percent tariff put on vehicles, it would price a lot of them out of the market and they wouldn’t sell,” Rigby acknowledged.
Customers like Edwards shared their frustration. Although she’s grateful for the helpful staff, she said tariffs would significantly impact her.
As of Monday, businesses will have to wait a few more weeks to see the real impact potential tariffs could have, if at all.
