While Bloom WNC offers a broad variety of fresh flowers, the only supplier of the tulip bulbs that it grows is in the Netherlands. (Courtesy photo: Abigail Helberg Moffitt, Bloom WNC)
If you are celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend, chances are you’ve noticed it’s going to cost more to demonstrate your love.
Many of the gifts that define Valentine’s — specifically flowers and chocolates — rely heavily on imports. About 80% of cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported. And the United States imports nearly all the cacao used to make high-quality chocolate.
Those imports were hit with across-the-board tariffs by the Trump administration last year, leaving some small business owners angry and anxious about how it will impact their business.
Abigail Helberg Moffitt, the owner of Bloom WNC (Courtesy photo)Abigail Helberg Moffitt, the owner of Bloom WNC, says that tariffs have negatively affected her specialty cut flower business in Black Mountain. While her farm offers a broad variety of fresh flowers, the only supplier of the tulip bulbs she grows is in the Netherlands.
“I have to order my raw goods eight months to a year in advance, so I’m harvesting thousands of tulips right now to distribute for Valentine’s Day,” she explained.
While preparing for this week, Helberg Moffitt must also calculate how many bulbs she’ll need to order in March for next year.
“Last year when I ordered my bulbs for this year, we didn’t know what tariffs were going on, and I had to just turn the news off, because one day it was 15%, one day it was 30,” she said. “It was so chaotic.”
When last year’s bulbs arrived from the Netherlands, Helberg Moffit had to pay an additional $7,000 to cover the extra tariffs.
“What we’ve been doing with these tariffs is we’re putting it on our credit card. It’s not a sustainable business model,” Helberg Moffitt said.
Between Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day, Bloom WNC earns about 30 to 40% of its annual profits. Tariffs can deliver a big hit to the bottom line.
“It’s tricky, because you don’t want to get too political as a business, but at the same time, you want to really educate your customers to what’s happening,” Helberg Moffit said.
A loyal base of retail customers has sustained the business, but she noted that her wholesale customers have dialed back their spending.
High quality chocolate costs more this Valentine’s Day in part due to the unpredictable nature of tariffs. (Photo by Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)For Sam Ratto, owner of Videri Chocolate Factory, Valentine’s week typically represents about 10% of his gross sales for the year. But customers this year are increasingly jittery about the economy.
“Our gross sales were down 5% and when you tack on increased cost of goods directly related to tariffs and tariff-related activities, that’s a tough pill to swallow,” Ratto said.
A global shortage of cocoa has further affected the cost of producing that perfect box of chocolates.
In 2023, a ton of cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic was about $5,800 for Ratto. By 2024, the cost to deliver that same quantity to his Raleigh store was $15,000.
“Countries were putting a bigger premium on their product before it landed, in case the [Trump] administration said, ‘Nope, today it’s 150% tariff,’” Ratto said. “We had no bargaining power against somebody that is rightfully protecting their bottom line.”
An executive order President Donald Trump issued in November 2025, exempted the earlier tariffs on cocoa beans and powder, but the 15% tariff remains in place for finished chocolate that’s imported.
Having a finalized trade policy that businesses can count on is very different than hearing the administration is starting to negotiate with a country, Ratto said.
Sam Ratto, owner of Videri Chocolate Factory (Photo: Screen capture)At the same time, customers have adjusted their spending patterns.
“What we’ve seen is our per-transaction dollar amount be lower this year, even with higher costs of us changing chocolate bar prices,” Ratto said.
For now, the two business owners are anxiously waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will invalidate Trump’s authority to impose broad tariffs through executive orders when they return next week from their winter recess. On Wednesday, the U.S. House delivered a ray of hope for business owners and consumers by passing a resolution to revoke Trump’s order imposing tariffs on Canada.
“It’s so unpredictable,” Helberg Moffitt said. “I’m just trying to tell [my customers] to send letters and make phone calls, and then I’m just trying to put my head down and just do what I’m good at, and for me, that’s growing flowers.”
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