RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Local business owners are now carrying the weight of tariff rate hikes as suppliers can no longer absorb the increased costs.

Bingo Beer owner Jay Bayer said Friday that suppliers worked to shield him from the impacts of tariff increases, but the inevitable is finally here.

“So everybody has done their best, but we have been informed by our aluminum can producer that they will have to pass on up to a 10% of the cost,” Bayer said.

Bayer is not alone. Dean Williams is the managing partner of Open Plan Systems, a local company that offers design plans for business offices. He said he has seen a significant change in out-of-pocket costs, mostly due to tariffs.

“In 2018, with much greater sales, we were paying about $350K to $400K a year in early tariffs; today it’s o

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