Owner of Asian grocery in Bradenton says tariffs, rising costs may close store for good
By Nancy Guan
October 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT
After more than 40 years in business, owner John Wong says Wong Kai Imports, one of the few Asian markets in Manatee County, may shut down by the end of the year.
Driving down State Road 70 in Bradenton, it’s easy to miss the nondescript grocery store.
Wong Kai Imports is tucked behind a warehouse, a remnant of the former wholesale business — a lucrative operation John Wong ran with his two brothers but had to cut loose nearly a decade ago to prioritize his health.
Still, the grocery store remained open. And, for the last 43 years, it’s been one of the few places in Manatee County shoppers could get a big, leafy bulb of bok choy, a bottle of fish sauce or a tub of pork floss.
But now, rising costs and tariffs could be pricing the family-run shop out of business.
"I talk to a lot of customers. They told me, 'Mr. Wong, don't close. Stay open for another three years,'" said Wong, "I said, 'I try, but it's hard. It’s very hard.'"
Brothers David, John and Sam Wong pose in front of their warehouse for Wong Kai Imports, which was established in 1983. Originally located in a small market on 15th Street East, they moved to a much larger distribution center and market location off of State Road 70 in 1995. (1640x1032, AR: 1.5891472868217054)
At Wong Kai, the shelves are lined with products from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and China — countries facing some of the steepest tariffs in President Donald Trump’s second term.
For China, in particular, Trump has threatened a levy as high as 145%. Goods from the country make up more than half of Wong Kai’s inventory.
The two countries reached a temporary truce, settling at around 30%. But the cost of Chinese imports could soar again in November if a trade deal isn’t struck.
ALSO READ: University of Tampa economics professors explain how tariffs could impact the economy
Also at play is the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not the president had the authority to implement the tariffs in the first place.
For Wong, that brings little solace.
“Anything can happen, you know?” Wong said.
For small importers like him, the fluctuating political landscape makes it nearly impossible to plan ahead. And besides, he said, suppliers have already raised prices in response to current rates, and it’s hitting him hard.
Boxes of mabo tofu sit on the shelf at Wong Kai Imports. Three versions of the same product sit side-by-side, each one pricier than the one before. Though they're the same product, prices have increased with each shipment. (3456x2304, AR: 1.5)
Wong pointed to boxes of ready-made sauce for mabo tofu, a spicy dish from Sichuan, China. Three versions of the same product sit side-by-side, each one pricier than the one before.
“It came in at $2.75 last year. Then, at the beginning of this year, it went up to $3.95. We just had this shipment come in yesterday — it’s $5,” said Wong. “We cannot catch up. Every shipment coming in, we have to put a new price on it.”
At the same time, Wong said he doesn’t want to drive away his customers, who skew older and live on fixed incomes. But he can absorb only so much of the cost to avoid raising prices, he said.
Grocery prices are up
Wong, like many, voted for Trump believing he’d make good on his campaign promise to lower grocery prices. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics said grocery inflation is at a two-year high.
While there are multiple factors at work, such as extreme weather or labor shortages, economists say tariffs haven’t helped.
Michael Snipes, an economics professor at the University of South Florida, said there are many disgruntled Americans who feel duped.
“They're really starting to see that these policies are probably not working the way that they were kind of sold to us,” said Snipes.
Trump argued that raising tariffs on foreign imports will revive U.S. manufacturing and create more jobs. He also wants to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and use the taxes as leverage to make demands on other countries.
“I think the administration has this mistaken belief that foreign imports are bad and domestic production is good,” said Alex Durante, an economist with the Tax Foundation, an independent think tank. “Of course, domestic production is good, but it just depends on what sector. There are many cases where it is better for American consumers and businesses to import certain components cheaply from abroad.”
In addition, U.S. companies that rely on exports have been squeezed by retaliatory tariffs raised by other countries.
Soy bean farmers, for example, are scrambling to find alternative markets after China imposed a 20% tariff. Trump has suggested using some of the tariff revenue to bail out farmers.
“There's a number of reasons why these tariffs are just not good economic policy,” said Snipes, “but, at the same time, we haven’t really seen the administration back down.”
Baskets of fruit and vegetables sit in a refrigerated section of Wong Kai Imports. (3336x2224, AR: 1.5)
A tipping point
If things don’t get better, Wong said he’s not sure he can make it past this year.
But he thinks often about how a closure will affect his customers, like the elderly woman who started rationing a tin can of sardines to eat with rice throughout the week.
“I mean, with the economy like that, it's very hard for not just me. It's for a lot of people,” he said.
And for Marilyn McKibben, Wong Kai is just a five-minute drive if she needs to grab ingredients, like sampalok or tamarind, to whip up a batch of the Filipino soup sinigang.
“It’s very convenient [for] me. That’s why I’m so sad,” she said. “Everything I want, I get in this store.”
Chinese lanterns and scrolls hang as decor in Wong Kai Imports. The phrase "huo ru lun zhuan" is an idiom wishing for a booming business. (3456x2304, AR: 1.5)
But business hasn’t been the same for a long time, said Wong. Since emigrating to the U.S. from Hong Kong as a child, he’s made a living working in the restaurant and food industry. Even as prices rose and fell, he saw his hard work pay off.
But in the past five years, the cost of a pallet of goods has doubled, with no sign of a slow-down. This year feels like a tipping point.
“Is there any future?” Wong asked. “Is this the American dream?”
Wong Kai Imports is tucked behind a warehouse, a remnant of the former wholesale business — a lucrative operation John Wong ran with his two brothers but had to cut loose nearly a decade ago to prioritize his health.
Still, the grocery store remained open. And, for the last 43 years, it’s been one of the few places in Manatee County shoppers could get a big, leafy bulb of bok choy, a bottle of fish sauce or a tub of pork floss.
But now, rising costs and tariffs could be pricing the family-run shop out of business.
"I talk to a lot of customers. They told me, 'Mr. Wong, don't close. Stay open for another three years,'" said Wong, "I said, 'I try, but it's hard. It’s very hard.'"
Brothers David, John and Sam Wong pose in front of their warehouse for Wong Kai Imports, which was established in 1983. Originally located in a small market on 15th Street East, they moved to a much larger distribution center and market location off of State Road 70 in 1995. (1640x1032, AR: 1.5891472868217054)
At Wong Kai, the shelves are lined with products from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and China — countries facing some of the steepest tariffs in President Donald Trump’s second term.
For China, in particular, Trump has threatened a levy as high as 145%. Goods from the country make up more than half of Wong Kai’s inventory.
The two countries reached a temporary truce, settling at around 30%. But the cost of Chinese imports could soar again in November if a trade deal isn’t struck.
ALSO READ: University of Tampa economics professors explain how tariffs could impact the economy
Also at play is the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide whether or not the president had the authority to implement the tariffs in the first place.
For Wong, that brings little solace.
“Anything can happen, you know?” Wong said.
For small importers like him, the fluctuating political landscape makes it nearly impossible to plan ahead. And besides, he said, suppliers have already raised prices in response to current rates, and it’s hitting him hard.
Boxes of mabo tofu sit on the shelf at Wong Kai Imports. Three versions of the same product sit side-by-side, each one pricier than the one before. Though they're the same product, prices have increased with each shipment. (3456x2304, AR: 1.5)
Wong pointed to boxes of ready-made sauce for mabo tofu, a spicy dish from Sichuan, China. Three versions of the same product sit side-by-side, each one pricier than the one before.
“It came in at $2.75 last year. Then, at the beginning of this year, it went up to $3.95. We just had this shipment come in yesterday — it’s $5,” said Wong. “We cannot catch up. Every shipment coming in, we have to put a new price on it.”
At the same time, Wong said he doesn’t want to drive away his customers, who skew older and live on fixed incomes. But he can absorb only so much of the cost to avoid raising prices, he said.
Grocery prices are up
Wong, like many, voted for Trump believing he’d make good on his campaign promise to lower grocery prices. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics said grocery inflation is at a two-year high.
While there are multiple factors at work, such as extreme weather or labor shortages, economists say tariffs haven’t helped.
Michael Snipes, an economics professor at the University of South Florida, said there are many disgruntled Americans who feel duped.
“They're really starting to see that these policies are probably not working the way that they were kind of sold to us,” said Snipes.
Trump argued that raising tariffs on foreign imports will revive U.S. manufacturing and create more jobs. He also wants to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and use the taxes as leverage to make demands on other countries.
“I think the administration has this mistaken belief that foreign imports are bad and domestic production is good,” said Alex Durante, an economist with the Tax Foundation, an independent think tank. “Of course, domestic production is good, but it just depends on what sector. There are many cases where it is better for American consumers and businesses to import certain components cheaply from abroad.”
In addition, U.S. companies that rely on exports have been squeezed by retaliatory tariffs raised by other countries.
Soy bean farmers, for example, are scrambling to find alternative markets after China imposed a 20% tariff. Trump has suggested using some of the tariff revenue to bail out farmers.
“There's a number of reasons why these tariffs are just not good economic policy,” said Snipes, “but, at the same time, we haven’t really seen the administration back down.”
Baskets of fruit and vegetables sit in a refrigerated section of Wong Kai Imports. (3336x2224, AR: 1.5)
A tipping point
If things don’t get better, Wong said he’s not sure he can make it past this year.
But he thinks often about how a closure will affect his customers, like the elderly woman who started rationing a tin can of sardines to eat with rice throughout the week.
“I mean, with the economy like that, it's very hard for not just me. It's for a lot of people,” he said.
And for Marilyn McKibben, Wong Kai is just a five-minute drive if she needs to grab ingredients, like sampalok or tamarind, to whip up a batch of the Filipino soup sinigang.
“It’s very convenient [for] me. That’s why I’m so sad,” she said. “Everything I want, I get in this store.”
Chinese lanterns and scrolls hang as decor in Wong Kai Imports. The phrase "huo ru lun zhuan" is an idiom wishing for a booming business. (3456x2304, AR: 1.5)
But business hasn’t been the same for a long time, said Wong. Since emigrating to the U.S. from Hong Kong as a child, he’s made a living working in the restaurant and food industry. Even as prices rose and fell, he saw his hard work pay off.
But in the past five years, the cost of a pallet of goods has doubled, with no sign of a slow-down. This year feels like a tipping point.
“Is there any future?” Wong asked. “Is this the American dream?”