Trump’s tariffs a ‘worry’ for Devon cheese business

US President Donald Trump’s new 10% tariffs on all imports from the UK to the United States have been described as worrying by one Devon company.

Quicke’s Cheeses, based near Exeter, make about 10% of their revenue from exporting cheese to the US, owner of the businesses Jane Quicke said.

She said the tariffs meant by the time the cheese reached shelves in the US, the cost could be far more than 10% higher – due to profit margins.

Quicke’s Cheeses make between £150,000 and £300,000 each year from the US Market, Mrs Quicke said.

“Our concern is that the American consumer and some of our larger customers will be very concerned and hold back with their spending,” she added.

Trump announced a 10% tariff on all imports from the UK from 5 April – which he said were necessary to protect American jobs and manufacturing.

Companies bringing foreign goods into the US have to pay the tax to the government, but it could also affect consumers if those costs are passed on in the form of higher prices on the shelves.

Mrs Quicke said the cheese went through an importer, a distributor, a wholesaler and a retailer before it reached the US consumer.

“Recently the US cheese market has developed some really interesting European and British style cheeses,” Mrs Quicke said.

“Their artisan cheese world has really boomed so we are now competing with cheddars made domestically.”

She said the tariffs followed a narrative of competing against domestic products which was “worrying in terms of total volumes of sale in to the US”.

Mrs Quicke said the company would have to wait to find out how their US customers react.

“We are not the cheapest dollar per pound product,” she said.

“We are hoping that perhaps our customers are slightly less sensitive to price.

“A commodity cheese may be hit more because their customers are much more price-sensitive but it is really hard to tell at this point.”