Ante el encarecimiento de productos de primera necesidad, derivado de la inflación en Estados Unidos, familias de California, optan por cruzar la frontera para surtir su despensa en Tijuana. Cinthya Gómez con los detalles.
Faced with rising prices for essential goods due to inflation in the United States, families in Southern California are choosing to cross the border to grocery shop in Tijuana, Mexico.
They claim that their money stretches further thanks to the exchange rate. Emma Celis Pineda, a resident of Anaheim, claims this is true.
"Groceries, yes, and they're fresher, but mostly because it's more affordable. Money doesn’t go as far there [U.S.] as it does here [Tijuana]," Emma told Telemundo 20.
With her shopping bag in hand, Emma stocked up on groceries, stating that the prices of basic goods in the U.S. are getting increasingly expensive. Sometimes, she says, the cost in the U.S. triples, according to her calculations.
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"Everything goes further here because over there, no matter how little you buy, it costs a fortune. Here, in pesos, your money stretches further. Everything is cheaper and of better quality, I think. We buy cheese, chiles, kitchen supplies, sometimes tortillas or things we like—candies, cinnamon, things like that," she explained.
The Hidalgo Market in Tijuana is one of the most visited spots by Southern California residents and even foreign tourists who don’t miss the opportunity to shop at this traditional market, including Hassan, a visitor from Lebanon.
"Ruffles, cheese—everything here is really good. All the food is fresh and delicious," said Hassan.
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For merchants, the influx of visitors from the other side of the border is a crucial part of their sales. Paola Rodríguez has been running her business for 15 years, with a large portion of her customers being U.S. residents. She says sales tend to increase over the weekends.
"We see the most customers on weekends—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—and on holidays. People come and buy chiles, beans, and cinnamon, which are the products they look for the most because they're more expensive over there," Paola mentioned.
With San Diego experiencing its highest inflation rate in a year—3.8%—and an exchange rate of 20 pesos per dollar, Southern California residents are taking advantage of the opportunity to protect their wallets by shopping across the border for the products that are legally allowed to be brought back.
"Almost everything crosses—dried chiles, yes; fresh ones, no. Grains like rice, beans, lentils, and fava beans can all cross. Most of our products can be brought over since they are dry goods and don't pose a risk," Paola concluded.
This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.
