A sour taste Tariffs hit US firms that rely on Chinese products

Chang Chang, a Sichuan restaurant in Washington DC, was already noticing some of its business had dropped off after tens of thousands of federal workers living in the area lost their jobs. But the recent tariff rises were an even greater blow for the restaurant.

- Rosalind Adams

Sichuan peppercorns, which create the signature numbing spice of the regional Chinese cuisine, along with other ingredients, face a tariff of at least 145% after the tit-for-tat trade battle between China and the US.

The steep rate has been described as an existential threat for restaurants across the country that rely on specialty ingredients imported from China to craft the authentic flavors of their dishes.

"We're really worried," said Jen Lin-Liu, Chang Chang's director of events. The restaurant is part of the Peter Chang restaurant group, which operates a dozen Sichuan restaurants across Washington, Virginia, and Maryland.

The group sources meats and vegetables from local farmers, including an Amish community in the Finger Lakes region that supplies its shiitake mushrooms and organic pork. Still, it is dependent on imported items such as fermented chili peppers and soy sauce, which give the dishes their characteristic taste.

"Some of the products that we need just do not exist in the United States," Lin-Liu said.