Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran are beginning to ripple through the Inland Empire’s local economy, with small businesses reporting higher operating costs as fuel and food prices climb, according to Rep. Pete Aguilar.
“In the three weeks since the start of Trump’s war with Iran, gas prices have shot up across the country, with prices here in San Bernardino County soaring to nearly $6 a gallon,” Aguilar said in a March 23 statement describing recent conditions affecting constituents and local businesses.
Rising fuel costs are particularly acute in logistics-heavy regions like San Bernardino County, where transportation is central to daily commerce.
Businesses that rely on vehicles, including food trucks, delivery services and supply-dependent retailers, are seeing immediate impacts on their bottom lines.
Aguilar pointed to a visit he made to a local vendor to illustrate those effects.
“I recently stopped by the La Bufadora Baja Grill food truck in San Bernardino, where I enjoyed some delicious tacos and heard about how the skyrocketing price of gas and food has impacted their business,” Aguilar said.
Food trucks and mobile vendors are especially vulnerable to fuel volatility because transportation is integral to their operations.
Higher gasoline prices increase the cost of moving between locations, running generators and maintaining supply chains.
“For local restaurants like La Bufadora that rely on trucks to serve their customers, higher gas prices mean lower profits,” Aguilar said. “And that’s on top of Trump’s chaotic tariffs that are driving up the cost of food and other goods that La Bufadora needs to run their business.”
Economists have long noted that geopolitical conflicts involving major oil-producing regions can disrupt global energy markets, often resulting in higher fuel prices domestically.
Those increases tend to cascade through supply chains, affecting everything from wholesale food costs to retail pricing.
In the Inland Empire, a region already grappling with affordability challenges, business owners say even modest increases in operating expenses can be difficult to absorb.
Many small businesses operate on thin margins, leaving little room to offset sudden spikes in fuel or ingredient costs without raising prices or reducing services.
Aguilar framed the issue as part of a broader economic strain facing working families and small business owners.
“From the gas pump to your favorite lunch spots, hardworking Americans are paying the price for Trump’s war in the Middle East,” Aguilar said. “Small businesses and working people can’t afford this reckless administration and the Republican policies that have created this affordability crisis.”
The Inland Empire, which serves as a key logistics hub for Southern California and the nation, is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in fuel costs due to its concentration of warehouses, trucking operations and distribution centers.
While large corporations may be able to hedge or absorb costs, smaller, locally owned businesses often lack that flexibility.
Aguilar said he plans to continue advocating for policies aimed at stabilizing costs and supporting small businesses.
“I’ll keep fighting to bring down costs and to hold Trump and Republicans in Congress accountable so that families and small businesses here in the Inland Empire can thrive,” he said.
As global tensions persist, local business owners and consumers alike are likely to continue feeling the economic effects, with fuel prices remaining a key pressure point across the region’s economy.
