Mudane Marc Bowker iyo Alter Ego Comics: Canshuurta iyo saameynta ay ku yeesheen dukaankiisa majaajillada ah
Marc Bowker oo leh Alter Ego Comics ee Lima, Ohio, ayaa muddo ku dhow hal sano iyo badh la tacaalayaa kharashka iyo hubanti-la'aanta canshuurta. Tan iyo 'Maalinta Xoreynta' wuxuu bixiyay more than $16,000 oo canshuur ah. Wuxuu yiri: 'It's become a challenge to try and remain stoic and focus on the four walls of my shop when it seems like the world is on fire.'.
Kharashka canshuurta iyo hoos u dhaca ganacsiga
Bowker ayaa markii hore lacagta canshuurta qayb ka mid ah u gudbiyay macaamiisha sidii 3% canshuur dheeraad ah, laakiin markii dambe wuu joojiyay lacdantaas oo uu quudhsaday kharashka. Alaabtiisa sawir-shaandheeyaha ah waxay keentaa 70% dakhligiisa, waxaana canshuurta Shiinaha mar gaartay 145%.
Ganacsigiisa sawir-shaandheeyaha ahaa wuxuu hoos u dhacay 50% sanadkii hore, wuxuuna aaminsan yahay in canshuurta qayb ka ahayd. Wuxuu yiri: 'The reality is our action figure business was down 50% last year.'.
Go'aanka Maxkamadda Sare iyo dib-u-bixinta canshuurta
Maxkamadda Sare waxay go'aamisan in isticmaalka Madaxweynaha Trump ee IEEPA si uu canshuur u saaro uu sharci darro ahaa, waxaana dowladdii bilowday in ay soo celiso more than $160 billion. Maxkamaddu waxay tirtirtay qaybo badan oo canshuur ah horraantii sanadkan.
Qaybiyaha Bowker ee Sideshow Collectibles ayaa ah shirkadda lacagta dib loo soo celinayo, laakiin weli ma aysan helin wax lacag ah. Bowker wuu ka tashaday in uu lacantiisa $16,000 ay celin doonaan, wuxuuna yiri: 'I'm not expecting anything. I don't want to keep bugging this company. It's a company that we've had a good relationship for over 20 years with.'.
Khatarta cusub iyo xaaladda ganacsiga hadda
Majaajillada ay ka keenaan Kanada lama darin canshuurta hadda, laakiin waa laga yaabaa in ay isbeddelo haddii dagaalka ganacsigu uu sii kordho. Bowker wuxuu leeyahay ganacsigiisu sanadkan wuu kordhay iyadoo majaajillo cusub sida Absolute Batman ay kiciyeen iibka.
Qaar ka mid ah macaamiisha ayaa miisaaniyadooda yareynaya sababtoo ah qiimaha kordhay, wuxuuna yiri: 'Everything I sell is not necessary, you know? But it is an escape. But at the end of the day they have to have money in their bank account in order to pay for this stuff.'. Wuxuu sidoo kale ka digay saameyn xumo.
Marc Bowker, owner of Alter Ego Comics in Lima, Ohio, has absorbed more than $16,000 in tariffs since the start of the trade war, dropping a 3% surcharge on customers after his action-figure sales fell 50% last year. Now he waits to see whether refunds will ever reach his small business.
Tariff Costs Hit a Small Business Hard
Marc Bowker runs Alter Ego Comics in Lima, Ohio, a shop filled with life-size Darth Vader and R2-D2 models and more than 200 comic titles. For nearly a year and a half, Bowker has watched tariffs squeeze his margins, particularly on action figures that account for roughly 70% of his revenue.
The initial 'Liberation Day' tariffs forced Bowker to pay his supplier more than $16,000 in import taxes. At one point, Chinese goods were hit with a 145% tariff rate, though the rate has since fluctuated lower. Bowker initially passed some of the cost to customers through a 3% fee, but he recently removed it to protect his business.
Supreme Court Ruling Opens Door to Refunds
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose many tariffs was illegal. The government has since begun refunding more than $160 billion in IEEPA-based tariff revenue collected from companies that paid U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Bowker's distributor, Sideshow Collectibles, is the entity receiving the refunds, but the company has not yet shared any money with Bowker. Bowker says he is not expecting a refund and does not want to keep pressing a partner he has worked with for over 20 years.
Looking Ahead Amid Trade War Uncertainty
Despite the headwinds, Bowker says his business is up this year, driven by a comic book renaissance and popular titles like Absolute Batman. However, he warns that the ongoing trade war with Canada could soon bring tariffs on comics, which are primarily imported from Canada and are not currently included in the latest measures.
Bowker reflects on the broader impact of tariffs on the industry, noting that everything he sells is not strictly necessary but serves as an escape for customers. He acknowledges that at the end of the day, buyers need money in their bank accounts to afford these items.
Ilaha iyo xuquuqda sawirka
Sawir: NPR News Xigasho
