RALEIGH, N.C. — President Donald Trump’s decision to expand tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports went into effect this week.
The president raised the tariff on aluminum from 10% to 25% and expanded the 25% tariff on steel to apply with no exceptions.
One Raleigh-based beverage company said it hopes to avoid raising its prices.
The CEO of Jabin Beverage Co., Homayoon Ershadi, said as a former athlete he often drank his mother’s home-made remedy as a workout recovery beverage, and it worked.
“Jabin is a drink that my mom would make for us growing up,” Ershadi said. “I just didn't see anything similar to it out there.”
In 2022, Ershadi created Jabin. He said the drink is a twist on an ancient Persian beverage and it’s made with natural ingredients, making it different from other sport drinks on the market.
“Helps a lot with digestive health, preventing cramps after exercise, and that's kind of the superpower in it,” he said.
Jabin is sold in 50 retailers across North Carolina and neighboring states including South Carolina and Virginia.
For that to happen, Ershadi said the company transitioned from glass bottles to aluminum cans for better storage and a longer shelf life.
“It is highly recyclable, actually much more sustainable than glass, 50% more recycled glass, and makes it very accessible for people to take it with them,” he said.
As a relatively new business, Ershadi said he has no choice but to follow the rules for manufacturers.
However, he said he doesn’t want to raise the price for the consumer.
“The goal for us is to have competitive pricing and not have to raise our prices because we're getting squeezed by our suppliers,” Ershadi said.
For his next shipment, he’s expecting to receive about 10,000 cans.
Ershadi said his company hasn’t felt the price increase from supplier yet, but he’s bracing for it.
The Trump administration says the tariff increase will boost the steel and aluminum industries in the U.S.
Canada and Mexico are among the top countries that export aluminum to the U.S.
