Landmark US Chinatown survived Covid, anti-Asian violence – but tariffs pose new threat
The streets brim with life after a challenging pandemic – but business owners warn tariffs threaten profit margins
Oakland Chinatown, one of the oldest in the United States, almost feels as lively as Hong Kong on a busy afternoon. Shoppers squeeze along narrow pavements lined with hanging lanterns and sacks of oranges, while a variety store welcomes customers with racks of clothing and slippers.
While many of the shoppers are Chinese, a considerable number could come from anywhere – a sign that Chinatown draws people from the wider San Francisco Bay Area.
Some of the nearly 300 merchants in the 35-square-block district acknowledge a steady stream of customers – but note that spending has dropped on the likes of ginseng, dried mushrooms, tea leaves and furniture imported from China.
A-li Huang, who has run Long Fa supermarket for 29 years, said costs have risen by an average of 50 per cent due to the tariffs. Customers keep coming but buy less to save money, she said.
“If you used to buy three cans of something, now you buy two,” Huang said from her pavement perch surrounded by tubs of green vegetables and elaborately packaged foods.