U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal visited SLO Roasted Coffee, a family-owned coffee company that roasts and sells their own coffee. He spoke with the owners about the state of the local economy while touring their facility, on Friday, Jan. 16.
Carbajal asked the owners and operators whether tariffs are making coffee beans more expensive amid the Trump administration’s implementation and repeal of tariffs, ranging from 10-40% on major coffee-producing countries like Brazil.
Chris Galloway, one of the owners and operators of SLO Roasted Coffee, blamed both tariffs and natural disasters for raising the prices from their usual coffee suppliers.
READ MORE: Downtown San Luis Obispo businesses manage the cost of tariffs
SLO Roasted Coffee has suppliers in Thailand, which saw unusually high rainfall, and Brazil, which is struggling with coffee production due to a drought. They switched to farms with lower prices, which makes their desired quality, or grade, harder to achieve, Galloway said.
“Sometimes that can affect the grade,” Galloway said. “We definitely want the highest grade that we can get at all times.”
Carbajal criticized the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported goods. He said he was “shocked” by how much tariffs cost SLO Roasted Coffee and called the implementation of tariffs “erratic.”
“[Tariffs] have made a huge negative impact on businesses across the board, especially small businesses,” Carbajal said. “That impacts the ability to operate in the best economical way, it impacts their employees, it impacts their operations and it impacts our local economy.”
Tariffs, as well as other economic factors, have challenged small businesses in San Luis Obispo and forced some to raise their prices. When asked what his next steps were, Carbajal said he will speak with more small businesses, introduce legislation and send letters to the White House to halt tariffs while the Supreme Court decides on their legality.
SLO Roasted Coffee began operating 42 years ago, and the Los Osos location began operating almost 25 years ago. Employees showcased their technology, including a German-made coffee roaster and an American-made bagging machine, which enables them to process 15 to 20 bags of coffee beans weighing almost 135 pounds per day.
Carbajal comments on other Trump officials and policies
After the tour, Carbajal also answered questions on Pete Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of defense.
The New York Times reported recently that the Pentagon may have used a civilian aircraft to strike a suspected drug boat off the coast of Venezuela. Carbajal, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, called the alleged strike “illegal” and “a black eye” for the United States.
“If that is accurate and true, it goes against our rules of conduct and how we operate when it comes to combat engagement,” Carbajal said. “We pride ourselves on setting the standard on the rules of engagement and war.”
Later, the representative talked about immigration enforcement and strongly criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE arrested 118 people the weekend before New Year’s. He called tactics by ICE, “brutal” and said that their new recruits are “playing army,” in both San Luis Obispo and Minneapolis, where bystanders and U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed this week.
“[ICE] is just hiring any warm bodies who step up and want to work,” Carbajal said. “We need to do everything possible to make sure they don’t use those tactics.”