Trick or Treat Studios, a Santa Cruz-based business known for its horror-themed products, is facing a much slower Halloween season compared to previous years due to rising tariffs that have increased costs and affected production.The company, which has been in business for 16 years, has had to let go of over a dozen employees. Chris Zephro, co-owner of Trick or Treat Studios, started the company after being disappointed by the poor quality of masks available on the market. Despite Halloween being a seasonal event, the company found success selling its products year-round.However, recent tariffs have significantly increased costs, making it difficult for Zephro to keep the business afloat.”It’s been horrible, imagine overnight your costs go up 140% to as low as 30% and it’s completely and utterly out of your sphere of control,” Zephro said.He believes the tariffs are a form of government control that is negatively impacting U.S. companies. “If there was a demand for imports, then they wouldn’t be coming here, so this is a way of the government to control consumer spending, but it’s also an attack on American businesses,” Zephro said.Due to the lack of a domestic plastic industry and no rubber trees to produce latex, Zephro has been forced to rely on overseas suppliers. This reliance has led to a reduction in production. “There’s a number of products I couldn’t bring in this year because they would be prohibitively expensive, and those that want to continue our products, thank you,” Zephro said.Because of the tariffs, Trick or Treat Studios had to raise prices, but they insist their products remain the best in the business. “One thing about Trick or Treat Studios is we do make the highest quality, most screen accurate products in the market,” Zephro said.Zephro said that he will have to deal with an unavoidable recession.
Trick or Treat Studios, a Santa Cruz-based business known for its horror-themed products, is facing a much slower Halloween season compared to previous years due to rising tariffs that have increased costs and affected production.
The company, which has been in business for 16 years, has had to let go of over a dozen employees.
Chris Zephro, co-owner of Trick or Treat Studios, started the company after being disappointed by the poor quality of masks available on the market.
Despite Halloween being a seasonal event, the company found success selling its products year-round.
However, recent tariffs have significantly increased costs, making it difficult for Zephro to keep the business afloat.
“It’s been horrible, imagine overnight your costs go up 140% to as low as 30% and it’s completely and utterly out of your sphere of control,” Zephro said.
He believes the tariffs are a form of government control that is negatively impacting U.S. companies.
“If there was a demand for imports, then they wouldn’t be coming here, so this is a way of the government to control consumer spending, but it’s also an attack on American businesses,” Zephro said.
Due to the lack of a domestic plastic industry and no rubber trees to produce latex, Zephro has been forced to rely on overseas suppliers. This reliance has led to a reduction in production.
“There’s a number of products I couldn’t bring in this year because they would be prohibitively expensive, and those that want to continue our products, thank you,” Zephro said.
Because of the tariffs, Trick or Treat Studios had to raise prices, but they insist their products remain the best in the business.
“One thing about Trick or Treat Studios is we do make the highest quality, most screen accurate products in the market,” Zephro said.
Zephro said that he will have to deal with an unavoidable recession.
