The U.S. tariff percentage seems to have been changing almost daily this week, but one thing is for sure, there will be tariffs, and they will affect industries worldwide, including the floral industry. This week, The Bloom Show launched a Bloom News Alert series focused on how the proposed tariffs may impact each sector of the floral industry. The goal is to bring clarity, unity, and timely insights to the floral community. On Wednesday, they chatted with Rebeckah Adcock, VP of U.S. Government Relations, and John Hollay, Director of Workforce Labor at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). Later that day, they also caught up with Marco Groot, CEO of Hilverda de Boer USA.
In the video below, Adcock and Hollay clarifies IFPA's official stance: while understanding the administration's goal of trade reciprocity, IFPA opposes the floral tariffs, citing their potential to raise costs and destabilize supply chains. The association has formally requested that fresh floral and produce items be exempt from the tariff list, citing their perishable nature and limited domestic production capacity.
The speakers emphasized that the U.S. government is currently resistant to exemptions, using broad tariffs as a negotiation tool with trading partners. However, the IFPA has been in active dialogue with federal officials and is collecting real-time impact data from members to advocate for change.
A key compounding issue, discussed in depth, is labor. U.S. growers are already constrained by labor shortages and high wages, and many floral producers do not qualify for existing labor programs like H-2A. The speakers stressed that domestic production cannot easily replace imports due to land, labor, and greenhouse limitations.
They do not expect that the full costs will be transferred to the supermarket consumers, but price increases are expected. Non-floral components like pots and packaging, sourced globally, also contribute to rising costs.
The IFPA continues to lobby for labor reforms and tariff exemptions, and encourages floral businesses to contact U.S. legislators directly, leverage customs expertise for clarity, and prepare for a potentially prolonged period of trade instability.
The key takeaway: stay engaged, stay informed, and communicate across the supply chain to weather the uncertainty.
Later that day, they spoke with Marco Groot. With breaking news surfacing just minutes before the broadcast, the discussion centered around immediate reactions and early interpretations of the evolving tariff landscape. Groot encouraged calm and pragmatism, drawing from past industry challenges like COVID-19 and historical freight pricing changes.
He advises customers not to panic. "It is less painful and harmful as a lot of people maybe thought." He also looks back at the time when the Ecuadorian tariffs were imposed and the chaos it created initially, but in the end not a single rose less was sold.
With so much uncertainty, people generally hesitate to spend money. However, he believes this will eventually settle down. He is confident that the industry will thrive once things stabilize.
Groot ended with a message of optimism and realism: while the tariffs aren't ideal, the floral industry has overcome bigger obstacles. Open communication and steady leadership, he believes, will carry the industry through this uncertain period.
Eager to watch the previous interviews from April 7 with Joe Don Zetzsche, owner of Rocking Bar Z, Eduardo Letort of Hoja Verde and Expoflores and Augusto Solano of Asocolflores? Click here to watch them.
And click here to watch the interviews from April 8 with Join Rodrigo Leiva of Esmeralda Farms and Christine Boldt of AFIA as well as Kate Pen of SAF