Trump’s Tariffs Are Already Devastating Small Businesses

Small businesses owners are already feeling the effects of Donald Trump’s tariff scheme that he claims will boost American manufacturing and bring jobs back to the United States.

Many have flocked to Reddit to share their struggles, desperately searching for advice amidst fears of losing their livelihoods.

“Any other small shops trying to figure out what to do? I’ve single handedly created and ran my small business for almost three years. I sell bamboo clothing and bedding, and now with this tariff I’ll likely have to close,” one user posted on the r/smallbusiness board.

On “Liberation Day,” Trump implemented tariffs ranging from 10 to 60 percent on imports from about 90 countries, which he claims will eliminate the trade deficit between the U.S. and other countries (economic experts have scoffed at the far-fetched assertion). China will see the worst of it all; the country faces a new 34 percent reciprocal tariff, along with a previously announced 20 percent tariff. On Monday, Trump threatened to increase the rate to 104 percent if China did not rescind its retaliatory tariffs.  

One Reddit user received an email from their Chinese distributor informing them that it will no longer distribute their products in the United States. “I planned for so many different things over the past few months which should allow us to weather the storm for the next year or so, but I didn’t expect our largest supplier to back out of the U.S. market entirely,” the user wrote.

“Not sure what to do at this point. This completely guts our business and leaves us with no alternatives or hopes for alternatives.…Sigh. We’re cooked.”

Another wrote they ordered over $3,000 worth of aluminum parts from China, and had to pay nearly $2,500 in import duty fees. 

The one consistent piece of advice on r/smallbusiness? Raise your prices, and let your customers know it’s Trump’s fault. 

One user wrote that they were going to add a “Trump tariff surcharge” of 37 percent on their invoices and receipts. 

“Raise the cost and be sure to tell your customers why,” another posted. 

“And let people know it’s tariffs that are at fault for your higher prices. If it’s true, it passes some of the blame from you to the administration, which can help change things,” one user wrote, offering a shred of hope to their fellow small-business owners. “A lot of people do’’t watch the news, and they should know that it’s directly affecting them.”