Well, Governor Murphy will return from a week-long trip to India, where his administration is looking to expand ties and economic opportunities with one of the state's largest international trade partners.

But it also comes amid growing turmoil between India and the U.S.

The Trump administration this weekend announced a $100,000 price tag on new H-1B visa applications.

Now about 70% of people in the U.S.

who hold that type of visa are from India.

On top of that, 50% tariffs on most goods imported from India went into effect last month, and they're hitting local businesses and their customers hard.

Here in New Jersey, a vibrant stretch of shops, restaurants, and other businesses along Oak Tree Road, known as Little India, has been rocked by the tariffs.

Raven Santana spoke with members of the community who worry their livelihood is on the line.

Oak Tree Road is usually buzzing with shoppers searching for South Asian food, clothing, and jewelry, drawing visitors from across the East Coast.

Now it's much quieter, business owners pointing to higher prices fueled by 50% tariffs on imports from India.

All the cost, whatever we get it from India is a 50% tariff now.

So it's very tough.

It's affected to the customers.

So we definitely increase the prices and I don't know, everything goes to the customer head only.

So I don't know.

We lose the business definitely and we get some special spices from India.

We can able to get it from here locally.

So that spices and all very important import from India.

At Saravana Bhavan, a popular vegetarian restaurant, the manager says they are already feeling the impact.

We're getting already 50% increase.

All the vendors who deliver us, they charge it now 50% more prices now.

So, we have no options.

We can't get the customer it only.

So we plan to increase the menu now.

The price hike.

And that's because Rutgers economist Tom Pruscia says for this community, those imports aren't optional, they're essential.

This is uniquely burdensome in a sense because of the lack of substitution options.

And given the nature of these products, the idea that Americans can, you know, that's one of the mantras you hear is that, well, we can move production back to the United States.

This is not the situation on these products.

Profit margins are not large enough in these industries to imagine they could be absorbed.

Indian consumers in the United States fully have to expect higher prices.

We specialize in South Asian jewelry and we import a lot of jewelry from India.

And India is very badly hit with tariffs.

Almost 56% on jewelry from India.

And majority of our clientele travels all around from United States to come to this jewelry district in Woodbridge to buy jewelry.

I believe even on the weekends where we would people waiting in lines at the restaurant or the jewelry stores to buy jewelry.

We have more employees, you know, standing and waiting for the customers to come in.

Next three months are very, very important.

Diwali is around the corner.

We have Thanksgiving, we have Christmas, and there is no tariff deal happening with India or other countries that export jewelry.

So I think it's going to be owner of Raj jewels.

Bobb are pricing people out.

I me pieces like this can b in India because they are by machines.

They are made artisans.

So obviously we them in the United States from where labor orientat businesses that would norm and thousands on Diwali a back.

And let me tell you which is the festival tim they spend money and cust you can see right now aga and in the advertising tr are not very much happy o to spend that money to pro not sure whether people a show up at this store a because prices are higher continue to struggle.

Gov is on an economic mission Edison Mayor Sam Joshi du there, the governor said tariffs could ease soon t relationship, the particu between New Jersey and Ind is so important and it's e times are good.

It's a lo when times are a little c this community wondering how long New Jersey's Little India can hold on.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

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