New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said President Donald Trump has agreed to delay enforcement of new federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) stocking requirements by at least 90 days. This gives small retailers across the United States more time to comply.
“I spoke with President Trump and he agreed to give small business owners across America at least a 90-day extension to comply with new SNAP rules,” Mamdani wrote on X. He added that “the concerns of the smallest businesses should always be raised to the highest levels of government.”
The extension follows direct talks between Mamdani and Trump after hundreds of New York bodega owners warned that the rules could threaten their businesses.
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How new rules would have affected small businesses?
The extension applies to new US Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules requiring stores authorised to accept SNAP benefits to stock seven varieties each of protein, dairy, grains and produce.
The regulations were scheduled to take effect this month and would affect thousands of neighbourhood stores, including bodegas, convenience stores and corner shops across the country.
{{/usCountry}}The regulations were scheduled to take effect this month and would affect thousands of neighbourhood stores, including bodegas, convenience stores and corner shops across the country.
{{/usCountry}}Mamdani said more than 100 New York bodega owners contacted his office requesting additional time because many small stores could not meet the new inventory requirements immediately.
“We formally raised those requests to the federal government, and I personally escalated them directly to President Trump,” the mayor said during a City Hall news conference.
Amr Abozaid, director of small business services at the Yemeni American Merchants Association, welcomed the decision.
“Bodegas are operating on razor-thin margins,” Abozaid said. “If we lose our SNAP, or if these stores lose their SNAP authorisation for six months, that could be the end of their businesses.”
White House spokesperson Allison Schuster said Trump was willing to work with local leaders to support businesses affected by the new regulations. “This action offers retailers accepting SNAP 90 additional days to comply with staple food stocking requirements, making sure families have access to more dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and protein,” Schuster said.
SNAP changes come as enrolment declines
SNAP helps millions of low-income Americans buy groceries, including nearly one in five New Yorkers. Bodegas play an important role in the programme because they often serve neighbourhoods with limited supermarket access.
According to The City Reporter, expanding healthy food choices is a worthwhile goal but questioned whether the USDA’s timeline was practical for small retailers.
“It’s a good goal, but we don’t approve of the way they’re trying to implement it,” said Joel Berg, chief executive of Hunger Free America.
The policy comes as SNAP participation in New York City has declined following federal changes to programme eligibility. According to city figures cited by The City Reporter, enrolment fell to 1.61 million in August 2026 from 1.79 million in July 2025.