#190 - Tariffs 2.0: Hotpot Queen, Fila Manila & Circle Beverage

The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG

Startup, Food, Business, Beverage, Cpg, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff sits down with Jia Liao of Hotpot Queen, Jake Deleon of Fila Manila, and Matt Whiteside of Circle Beverage to unpack the real-world impact of skyrocketing tariffs on emerging food and beverage brands.

Jia shares the challenges of manufacturing in China and how a sudden 54% tariff hike forced her to rethink pricing, margins, and her relationship with her suppliers. Jake offers a different angle, explaining how Fila Manila’s U.S.-based production could give it a competitive edge as imported brands face cost spikes. Meanwhile, Matt provides the manufacturer’s perspective—explaining how tariffs are affecting ingredient costs, supply chain decisions, and even equipment investments.

Whether you're a brand founder, manufacturer, or just curious about how global policy hits Main Street, this episode breaks it all down.

Tune in now to hear how resilient brands are pivoting in real time—and learn how you can adapt your strategy to stay ahead.

Listen in as they share about:

Jia Liao (Hotpot Queen)

- 54% Tariff Spike

- Cost of Staying Premium

- Supplier Negotiations and Strategic Shifts

- Why Small Brands Get Hit Hardest

- Jia’s Personal Thoughts on Tariffs

Jake Deleon (Fila Manila)

- How U.S. Manufacturing Helped Fila Manila

- Issues With Imported Ingredients and Packaging

- The Double-Edged Sword of Tariffs

- Turning Disruption Into Strategy

Matt Whiteside (Circle Beverage)

- How Tariffs Are Raising Manufacturing Costs

- Why Pricing Can’t Change Right Away

- Focusing on Long-Term Brand Partnerships

- Tariffs Make Equipment More Expensive

- Why Strong Relationships Matter Right Now

Episode Links:

Website: https://hotpotqueen.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weijia-liao/

Website: https://filamanila.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobcdeleon/

Website: https://www.circlebev.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-whiteside/

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

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Episode music by Super Fantastics

Transcript

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0:00.0	Most of our products are based in the U.S.
0:12.6	There are a few exceptions.
0:13.9	Like we're getting hit with Tarras from our packaging, which comes from out of country,
0:18.4	also some of our core ingredients.
0:20.3	And so, you know, it's definitely going to of our core ingredients. And so, you know,
0:20.9	it's definitely going to be tough, a challenging time. Because, you know, in this kind of
0:24.0	environment in our industry, like every bit of penny profit in your union economics is really
0:30.4	critical. We're not worried about weekly or quarterly earnings. We're focused on long-term
0:35.3	partnerships where we can be the permanent manufacturer for the people that we work with.
0:39.3	So we really view tariffs as transitive.
0:42.3	We're not looking to make a penny profit in a near term because of a certain political environment,
0:47.3	whether it's good, bad, or the rest.
0:52.3	Hello, CPGers. Today we are talking about the tariffs.
0:56.0	There's a lot going on in so many unknowns, but I wanted to bring you three different,
1:00.0	really important perspectives. One is from a brand that's badly affected and figuring out what
1:04.5	it'll mean for her future. The second is a brand actually not so impacted who may even
1:09.4	stand a gain on lower quality products that
1:11.9	are imported who will face the tariffs. And then for a really important third perspective,
1:16.7	I invited a friend of mine who's a U.S.-based co-manufacturer. They work with a lot of emerging
1:21.7	brands even from our community. I wanted to hear what he thinks is going to happen in the short
1:26.0	and long run, especially
1:27.7	about prices for working with manufacturers like him because of all the demand that we expect
	...

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