BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — (KBAK/FOX58) Tariffs are becoming a pervasive issue, affecting everything from grocery stores to car dealerships, and now they may be influencing future population growth in Kern County. Dr. Richard Gearhart, an economist at California State University-Bakersfield, said tariffs could hinder the construction of new warehouses and big-box outlets between the Grapevine and Bakersfield. He pointed to slowing shipments into Southern California’s ports as a sign of this impact.
“You are starting to see port traffic dry up. For instance, the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles have announced that starting next week, container traffic will drop by about 44 percent,” said Gearhart.
The recent Canadian election, which kept the Liberal Party in power, may also contribute to ongoing trade tensions with the United States. Gearhart noted, “I do not anticipate any reduction in hostility between the United States and Canada any time soon. And you are already starting to see these upstream input costs for home building, commercial building, and industrial building here in Kern County.”…