ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Georgia’s Chamber of Commerce released a report on Thursday that details how tariffs and trade negotiations are likely to impact Georgia’s service industries.

Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark said there are concerns of retaliatory measures that could start a ripple effect, which could stifle company growth and lead to layoffs.

“I’ve heard from companies that are literally losing $4 to $6 million a week. If we have those services somehow prohibited, monitored or regulated in a different way, it could cost Georgia jobs,” said Clark.

The report details that in 2022, Georgia carried a $27 billion services trade surplus as businesses, professional and technical services, financial services and transportation services.

“While that’s not part of the administration’s focus on the trade war, there are barriers that are going up and there are reciprocal trade tariffs that are going in, and China has already announced they’re going to go after the service sector in the US and Georgia is going to be impacted,” said Clark.

Georgia’s leading export partners include China at $1.2 billion, Canada at $2.1 billion and Mexico at $1.1 billion.

Clark said Georgia has the ability to open up more markets through negotiations, but said they’re hoping for a swift end to tariff talks.

“We’ve heard that China is now looking at certain companies here in America that are doing business in China and asking for their intellectual property, looking at their licensing as well, how they operate, maybe even the potential to take their products that are being made over there and send them somewhere else. You’ve got to really be careful, you need a trade attorney, you need to be plugged into your local chamber,” said Clark.

>> WATCH CLARK’S FULL ADDRESS ON TARIFFS:

Georgia’s service economy relies on international companies for business growth.

Emory University Professor Ray Hill said tariffs are likely going to cause a major shift in the country’s top industries.

“We export about $300 billion more in services than we take in. So one of those services is intellectual property. People pay us about $100 billion more for the intellectual property we’ve developed than we pay foreigners for their intellectual property. Services are the high-paying jobs and the sort of intellectually driven part of what we do,” said Hill.

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Whether it’s for Cinco de Mayo coming soon or just another Taco Tuesday, people love Mexican restaurants. Georgia has a lot of them, but which are the best?

Explore Georgia ranked the top spots of several cities across the state. Here are the ones they highlighted:

Location: 1225 N Chase St, Athens

Menu highlights: Tortas, fajitas, parrilladas

Review: “Tlaloc is technically El Salvadorian, but they offer all of the Mexican classics. This place is the gold standard for any Mexican dish. Their tacos are top-notch….tortas, burritos, etc. The salsa is the best part. Most importantly, they sell these things called Papusas which are basically El Salvadorian hot pockets filled with cheese, jalapeños, beans, and chorizo. Definitely one of my top overall food recommendations in Athens!”

Location: 1495 Chattahoochee Ave NW, Atlanta

Menu highlights: Quesadilla De La Casa, Holy Tacos, Cadillac Crab Cakes

Review: “Staff is super competent and welcoming. Our drinks were refilled numerous times and the free chips and salsa were amazing. We also got the queso which was delicious. My son and friend split the beef fajitas with an extra order of flour tortillas, other friend got chicken enchiladas, my husband ordered the shrimp barbacoa, and I tried the Holy Tacos, a vegetarian dish which was unique to me and delicious.”

Location: Alpharetta area

Menu highlights: Mexy tacos, BBQ sweet fries, Mexy Mac and Cheese

Review: “There’s nothing fancy about this hole-in-the-wall find tucked into an East Roswell strip mall, but look to the giant truck painted on the wall to know why. With its origins in one of the city’s more recognizable food trucks, this mostly takeaway spot (there are a few stools if you want to dine right away) is the brick-and-mortar purveyor of Southern soul food and Mexican mashups – think jalapeño mac ‘n’ cheese or burritos bursting with collards and barbecue.”

Location: 3107 Washington Rd, Augusta

Menu highlights: Pizza birria, margarita towers, Burrito el Patron

Review: “This is the place to go for some guaranteed good Mexican food. I came here specifically for the sopes which were excellent. I love their abundant meat options….The service is amazing. They are so nice, and when our little one was having a rough time the waitress came over and tried playing with him and helping out. Every time a server would pass by they’d stop and smile at him and you could tell he was the most popular guy in the shop.”

Location: 4114 E First St, Blue Ridge

Menu highlights: Gorditas, burritos, flautas

Review: “A year later and we came back to visit this little town again. One of the main reasons for this entire trip is to visit this resturaunt and have their delicious food. Their service is great and it seems since the last visit they’ve added some more tables and painted some walls. What a great place.”

Location: 5701 Altama Ave, Brunswick

Menu highlights: Tostadas, carnitas, Guisado De La Casa

Review: “This is our spot! The food is great! It’s like a family style ambiance, and the service is always on point! The beer and margaritas are delicious and always cold. From the tacos to the carnitas are to die for! You won’t be disappointed.”

Location: 82 E Main St, Dahlonega

Menu highlights: Brunch burritos, corn flatbread, Texas brisket with cheese chimi

Review: “We were visiting Dahlonega for three days and this was the best meal we had…. They brought a huge bowl of awesome nacho chips when we sat down that were thin and very crispy along with the best salsa I’ve ever had….The portions were not overwhelmingly large as in a lot of Mexican restaurants, but our chimichanga and enchiladas were very tasty and filling.The house margaritas were really good, I had two! For dessert I had the Fried Ice Cream which was delightful and huge.”

Location: 1501 Rice Ave, Dublin

Menu highlights: Torta Azteca, paella, Chori-Pollo

Review: “What a gem in Dublin….La Joya’s customer service and food was excellent….We ordered and were surprised how fast our food came out. I ordered the carnitas, my hubby ordered the bistec Mexicana and our kids ordered kids meals. I also ordered the hibiscus tea, which is delicious. It’s a small place but the dining area is cozy. Great service, great food, and great prices. If you like Mexican food, try this place.”

Location: 4646 Forsyth Rd, Macon

Menu highlights: Mexican street corn dip, Nachos Ala Bar-Ba-Coa, Quesadilla Birria Taco

Review: “This has been my go to Mexican restaurant for years. They are friendly and accommodating. I have had most of what’s offered on the menu and it’s all good. My dad was there for his 94th birthday and he wanted butter pecan ice cream. They walked over to Kroger to get him some buttter pecan ice cream. I was surprised by that touching gesture for him.”

Location: 930 Morgans Corner Rd, Pooler

Menu highlights: Mushroom tacos, empanadas, Mexi-Chickpea Bowl

Review: “We came here for lunch and I am so glad we did! We were greeted when we walked in and seated quickly in a booth. Our waiter was kind and attentive. I liked the salsa that came with the chips! I ordered the Mexi-chicken bowl and it was so flavorful and delicious! I would definitely order that again! I definitely want to come back and try more dishes as well!”

Location: 200 Redfern Village, St Simons Island

Menu highlights: Fried calamari, tacos, Jalapeño Pesos

Review: “Easiest five stars I have ever given a place. Now I’m biased because I have incredibly fond memories of going here when it first opened but it’s among some of the best Tex-Mex I have ever had. It’s incredibly casual….the staff are very friendly and attentive….the ingredients used are all very fresh and tasty. Even some of the most average Mexican food can satiate a cravings.”

Locations: In Savannah at 109 Whitaker St and 7360 Skidaway Rd

Menu highlights: Carnitas, mole, Plátano Macho Con Queso Fresco

Review: “Dude….this place is just really clean and fresh! Great salsa with a kick and the dang tacos are on time! Love it and will be back. Note: Try the Esquites and share with your partner.”

Location: 1300 N Ashley St, Valdosta

Menu highlights: Huaraches, molcajete, asadas

Review: “Decided to stop here for lunch due to all my friends telling me how badly I need to go. Y’all, this place is no joke. This is the most authentic Mexican food I’ve had since I’ve lived in Valdosta. I got tacos, but of course they have a wide variety of other things. The food was fresh, and fast, and our server was super sweet and helpful. Also, get the horchata to drink! This is going to become my weekly spot for Taco Tuesday now. Plus it is super affordable.”

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.

Tate Ratledge, Dan Jackson and Dominic Lovett all share something in common. They were Georgia Bulldogs and now they’re Detroit Lions.

But it goes deeper than that — all three 2025 NFL Draft picks approach the game with the same tenacious attitude.

They’re intense, ferocious, resilient and, most of all, gritty — just like the team they’re joining.

“Never going to quit,” Lovett, a slot receiver, said. “Never gonna give up until the clock strikes zero. We just really got that ‘dog’ mindset and really just want to compete every play, day in and day out.”

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That relentless spirit was cultivated at one of college football’s premier programs, which has suddenly become a go-to talent source for this revived NFL franchise. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has developed an affinity for the SEC stronghold, which is seen as the closest facsimile to the Alabama juggernaut that Nick Saban lorded over until his retirement in January 2024.

There is a reason for that; Saban’s one-time protégé, Kirby Smart, runs the Georgia machine. He has powered it to two national championships this decade and made it a hotbed for NFL prospects. In Athens, Holmes sees a lot of what he once saw during his visits to Tuscaloosa.

“The physicality. The detail. The tempo … the energy,” he said.

It was all right there before his eyes as he watched Smart’s team train, just as it was evident when he observed Saban leading his rugged Alabama squads through drills.

The players who endure that kind of grueling regimen are “ready,” as Holmes put it, to play on Sundays.

Lovett, a seventh-round pick, can attest to that.

He said the experience during his two seasons at Georgia (after transferring from Missouri) hardened him. He called it a “grind,” where fortitude and camaraderie were forged in practices he described as “hard.”

“I feel like what you go through at Georgia will ultimately help you for the next level,” he said.

It should make for a seamless transition to the Lions, a franchise that, under coach Dan Campbell, has fostered a culture that parallels the one Smart has developed over his nine-plus years at Georgia.

MORE FROM RAINER SABIN: Detroit Lions 2025 NFL Draft winners and losers: Two starters may have lost out

“I see a lot of similarities,” said Ratledge, a mauler of a right guard who was taken in the second round following a five-year stint in Athens. “As far as what coach Smart and what coach Campbell believe in, I think they’re right (in) line with each other. I think they both believe in physical football players, tough football players, smart football players, and I think they both have a lot of those on their teams.”

But until this weekend, the pipeline between Smart’s Bulldogs and Campbell’s Lions wasn’t active. Holmes instead spent the past three seasons tapping Alabama for its best and brightest. In 2022, he drafted the Crimson Tide’s star receiver, Jameson Williams, with the 12^th overall pick. A year later, he made an aggressive move to take their electrifying running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, in that same slot before selecting Alabama’s dependable defensive back, Brian Branch, in the ensuing round. Then, last April, he traded up to snatch Tide cover man Terrion Arnold.

But the budding stars Saban coached and developed will soon start to phase out, which is why Holmes has Georgia on his mind as the next best place to go get quality football players. That makes perfect sense to Jackson, a safety and a former walk-on who was plucked by Detroit in the seventh round.

“Georgia has really shaped me,” Jackson said, “into the player I am today.”

In essence, his college program made him, Ratledge and Lovett fits for the Lions.

Speaking of Georgia, Holmes said, “I think the proof’s in the pudding in terms of what they put out.”

And now the Lions have made sure to get their hands on some of it.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X