VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Local water company stays ahead of tariff uncertainty with Virginia-based productionA Hampton Roads-based bottled water company says their commitment to local sourcing has positioned them well amid ongoing uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
As the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs on foreign imports Friday, he quickly issued an executive order implementing 10% global tariffs on all countries. The back-and-forth has created questions and concerns for American businesses that rely on foreign supplies.
"In nutshell, it means nothing has changed," said Dr. Vinod Agarwal, a professor of economics at Old Dominion University.
Agarwal says small businesses shouldn't rush to react to the policy changes.
"So if you want to give good advice to small businesses, wait for a week, let the dust settle down," Agarwal said.
One Hampton Roads-based bottled water company says keeping their resources local has washed away their worries over major impacts from tariffs.
"We expected to deal with the tariffs. We expected to deal with a lot more of being able to not do it. It was just a blessing," said Amir Ali, chairman and founder of Wasted water.
The company is a seven-person team from Hampton Roads that started with a different mission.
"We realized the struggles people needing to hydrate and people wasn't doing it just wasn't fun," Ali said.
They first introduced their artesian water in nightclubs.
"Because we know people drink and you also need to drink water just so everybody can get home safely," said Tok Alford, chairman of Wasted.
After searching nationwide, they settled on a water source in Virginia.
"We were born in Virginia, leaving out of Virginia to look for this thing who knew it would be in our backyard," Ali said.
The bottle says "bottled at the source - Hanover Virginia." Instead of plastic bottles, they use recycled aluminum manufactured in Virginia.
"Let's do non traditional stuff, let's kill plastic," Ali said.
Now, Wasted water is sold in major retailers like 7-Eleven and Foot Locker.
"Taking my daughter in there and she's grabbing the wasted water it's crazy," Alford said.
This Hampton Roads brand's local production strategy may have positioned them ahead of the uncertainty. As tariff policy evolves, experts say patience is key for small businesses
