Decatur, IL (WAND) – Throughout early 2025, tariffs were introduced on most items from most countries. University of Illinois Agricultural Economics Professor William Ridley said this is unprecedented.

“Not in any of our lifetimes, it’s been like 100 years going since we’ve done anything like this,” Ridley said. “Everything that we import has been hit by tariffs, whether it’s from China, Canada, or pick a country.”

While most local businesses are not engaging in large-scale international trade, they do still have to buy supplies, which often come from other countries. Products that cannot be produced in the US, like coffee, bananas, or chocolate, were especially hit hard.

Bree Mendenhall owns Brezie’s Roasted Beans just outside of Springfield. She has tried her best to adjust to rising costs, but is still seeing prices increase for supplies.

“I budget everything, have it written down to a tee, exactly what it costs me,” Mendenhall said. “So whenever the cups go up or the straws, that all bites into that.”

One of her biggest expenses lately has been products like cups, straws and lids. Items she purchases online have been delayed significantly, taking to three to four weeks, instead of one week to arrive.

Mendenhall has tried to purchase as many items locally as she can, although many of them are more expensive. She wants to support local businesses in the same way people support her local business.

“You’re supporting a family, it’s not a corporation,” Mendenhall said. “We love being able to do the things that we do, but we can only do that as long as we have the support of the local community.”

While Mendenhall is getting creative to keep costs low, Ridley said that it is not possible to be unaffected by the current tariff conditions.

“It’s across the board, it affects everything that’s imported, and it’s going to affect all prices in the economy at the end of the day,” Ridley said. “Consumers are stuck.”