Trump’s Trade War Is Hitting Black Beauty Supply Stores Where It Hurts — The Shelves
Across the U.S., businesses are starting to feel the impact of tariffs imposed on countries like China — but the neighborhood hair shop is getting hit hard.
Black beauty supply stores, long-standing cultural staples in Black communities, are bracing for economic fallout as Trump-era trade policies make a comeback. With import tariffs soaring as high as 145%, many of these small, often Black-owned businesses are finding themselves squeezed between rising supplier costs and customers who can’t afford to pay more.
The pain is being felt in every community where store owners are scrambling to keep shelves stocked and prices steady in the face of ballooning costs for hair extensions, styling tools, and essential hair care ingredients.
“Hair Is Nonnegotiable”: The Real-World Impact of Rising Prices
Beauty supply stores are more than just shops — they’re community hubs, especially for Black women who rely on them for products they can’t find at big-box retailers.
“Hair is nonnegotiable for me,” said Kortlynn Jenaé Johnson, a natural hair wearer in New Orleans who shops regularly for conditioners and shampoos. “It’s not just about looking good — it’s about how I show up in the world.”
But now, prices are rising fast. In Tennessee, a Brazilian bundle of human hair jumped from $125 to $175 for LaWanda Majors, owner of MajorStyllz Beauty Supply, who says her margins are so tight she’s been forced to work alone and mark down everything in the store just to afford her next order.
“I’m just stuck right now,” Majors said. “I just put it in God’s hands.”
From Lip Gloss to Lace Fronts, Everything Costs More
For decades, beauty supply stores have been where Black girls bought their first lip gloss, stocked up for wash day, or prepped for a new protective style. Many stores rely on imports from China, India, Cambodia, and Ghana, especially for braiding hair, wigs, and key ingredients like shea butter.
But the new tariffs mean store owners like Chasity Monroe of Memphis’ Pink Noire are watching prices skyrocket on their go-to vendors. A synthetic hair pack that used to sell for $3 to $5 may now have to be priced at $10 to $12, she said — a near deal-breaker for budget-conscious customers.
“It’s just been really scary for a small business that’s not been open long,” Monroe said.
Even her own haircare line, produced in China, is getting harder to maintain. A local manufacturer told her she’d need to order 10,000 units minimum to shift production stateside — an impossible number for her boutique shop.
Black-Owned Shops Face the Biggest Hurdles
Unlike larger beauty chains, small Black-owned shops often don’t have access to the capital needed to buy inventory in bulk and take advantage of tariff pauses.
“Many Black businesses don’t have the banking relationships or liquidity,” said economist Trevon Logan of Ohio State University. “And they don’t have the negotiating power of big-box competitors.”
Add in the growing conservative backlash to DEI and Black entrepreneurship, and many owners feel increasingly isolated in trying to keep their doors open and shelves full.
Beauty Is Resilient — But Not Untouchable
At Pink Noire, Monroe is doing what she can to adapt. The store has become a local social space, complete with licensed cosmetologists, Wine Day Wednesdays, and Champagne Saturdays. But even she admits she’ll likely have to raise prices soon — and she hopes customers will understand.
“We can’t just buy chickens when it comes to the beauty business,” she said, joking about inflation frustrations. “But people still want to feel good — even when everything else feels out of control.”
As TikTok users begin to vent about rising beauty prices and Black women continue to search for affordable products that meet their needs, one thing is clear: when tariffs hit beauty supply stores, they hit at the heart of a culture and economy that’s long been overlooked.
