Dear Editor,
St. Maarten, our little paradise in the Caribbean, is no stranger to weathering storms—both literal and figurative. However, the latest challenge blowing in from the north isn’t a hurricane; it’s a wave of tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. With a baseline 10% tariff on all imports to the U.S. and steeper reciprocal tariffs on certain countries—some as high as 50%—global trade is reeling, and St. Maarten could feel the ripple effects in a big way. As an island that imports virtually everything from food to furniture, mainly via the U.S., even if the goods originate elsewhere, these tariffs could mean one thing for the average consumer: higher prices. All eyes are now on the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication (TEATT) and her Senior Policy Advisor to steer us through this mess.
Let’s break it down. St. Maarten doesn’t produce much locally—our economy thrives on tourism and what we bring in from abroad. A huge chunk of those imports, whether it’s a bag of rice, a flat-screen TV, or a case of Heineken, comes through U.S. ports or from American suppliers, even if the stuff was made in China, Europe, or Latin America. Trump’s tariffs don’t just hit goods made in the U.S.; they jack up the cost of anything shipped to or through the States. That means the price tag on everyday items could climb from 20% to 40% in some cases, depending on how businesses pass on the costs here.
Take a simple example: a gallon of milk. Maybe it’s sourced from a U.S. distributor, even if the cows are in Wisconsin or elsewhere. That 10% baseline tariff—or higher if it’s tangled up in reciprocal duties—gets tacked onto the wholesale price. Shipping companies, already squeezed by global trade tensions, might hike their rates too. By the time milk hits the shelves at Carrefour or Cost-U-Less, you’re paying $6 or $7 instead of $5. Now multiply that across your grocery list—chicken, cereal, diapers—and suddenly, your weekly shop is $50 more expensive. For a family already stretched thin, that’s a punch to the gut.
Or think about bigger purchases. Say you’re eyeing a new sofa from a U.S.-based retailer like Ashley Furniture. The price was already steep because of shipping to an island, but now add a tariff bump—it could be 20% or more if the materials came from a “high-tariff” country like China (which faces a 34% levy). That $1,000 sofa might now cost you $1,200 or $1,400. The math gets even uglier for small businesses importing goods to sell—think electronics, clothing, or construction materials. They’ll either eat the cost (unlikely) or pass it on to you, the consumer.
So, what’s at stake? A lot. If prices soar unchecked, it’s not just about tighter budgets—it’s about tourism taking a hit too. Visitors might balk at $15 burgers or $200 hotel sundries, and that’s a problem for an island where every dollar counts. But here’s where hope comes in: the Minister of TEATT and her Senior Policy Advisor, a duo with a track record of tackling crises, are in the hot seat to figure this out.
The Minister, Grisha Heyliger-Marten—yes, wife of Theo Heyliger—brings a steady hand and a deep understanding of St. Maarten’s economic pulse. Her Senior Policy Advisor, Rolando Brison, says what you will about his past is undeniably one of the sharpest minds in our political landscape. This isn’t their first rodeo. Brison, in particular, was a key player in navigating St. Maarten through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping keep our economy afloat when the world shut down. Together, they’ve got the experience and brainpower to make this tariff turmoil manageable.
What can they do? For starters, they could push for creative trade workarounds—maybe lean harder on direct imports from Europe or the Caribbean to bypass U.S. ports. They might negotiate with local businesses to absorb some costs or lobby for subsidies to cushion the blow. And with their political savvy, they could even press the Dutch government for support, given St. Maarten’s status in the Kingdom. It’s a tall order, but if anyone can pull it off, it's these two. Their past political or otherwise differences seem irrelevant now; this is about results.
SMN News says let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. Sure, prices might spike 20% to 40% if nothing’s done, but Heyliger-Marten and Brison have a chance to prove they can keep St. Maarten steady. The timing’s almost poetic: two heavyweights, once at odds, are now united by necessity. If they put their heads together, we might just come out of this better than expected. For now, stock up on that milk—and watch TEATT—the island’s counting on them.