U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

07/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2025 20:19

As Trump Tariff Rates Remain Volatile, Ranking Members Markey, Wyden, Small Business Owners Highlight Ongoing Harm Facing Small Businesses

As Trump Tariff Rates Remain Volatile, Ranking Members Markey, Wyden, Small Business Owners Highlight Ongoing Harm Facing Small Businesses

July 9, 2025

(Washington, July 9) - Following President Trump's delay of country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs that were set to take effect today, Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), along with Small Business for America's Future, today heard from small businesses across the country on how Trump's reckless, chaotic tariffs have continued to harm them.

"The Trump administration keeps shifting the goalposts while small businesses suffer. Trump's roller coaster tariff policies do not provide small businesses with certainty - they are causing chaos and confusion. Small businesses do not have the ability to absorb these costs. Many have no choice but to pass these costs on to customers, lay off workers, pause hiring, and in some cases, even close their doors. Congress must pass my Small Business Liberation Act to provide small businesses with the certainty they need and liberate them once and for all from Trump's reckless tariffs," said Ranking Member Markey.

"Oregonians are petrified about what Trump's tariffs mean for themselves, their employees, and their communities. I know our small businesses-who operate on thinner margins than the big guys- just can't afford to pay this new Trump Tariff Tax. At a time when prices are already high, the President should be focusing on lowering costs for Americans, not raising them," said Ranking Member Wyden.

"The unpredictability of tariff policies is creating an impossible situation for small businesses. Just this year, we had to pay an extra $5,000 in back-dated tariffs on a single shipment that we weren't expecting. Like many small businesses, we're trying to figure out how to absorb these unexpected costs without passing them on to the communities we serve," said Legrand Lindor, Owner of LMI Textiles in Milton, Massachusetts.

"Tariff whiplash makes it nearly impossible for Main Street entrepreneurs to plan, hire, or grow. When rates can change overnight and businesses don't know what to expect from week to week, it creates an environment where small businesses simply cannot thrive or serve their communities effectively," said Shaundell Newsome, Co-Chair of Small Business for America's Future and Visionary & Founder of Sumnu Marketing in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Our coffee shops rely entirely on imports because there simply aren't enough coffee growers in the U.S. to meet the demand. Importing isn't optional for us. I've had to make some really tough financial decisions, like stockpiling supplies before tariff costs hit, but we're still seeing significant increases across the board. The unpredictability has forced us to cut our expansion plans because it's nearly impossible to plan for growth when you don't know what costs are coming next," said Gabe Hagen, Council Member of Small Business for America's Future and Founder of Brick Road Community Corporation in Tempe, Arizona.

"Tariff uncertainty is hurting our client relationships. We had a critical project delayed by two months because our supplier kept pushing back timelines, and then they demanded additional payment we hadn't budgeted for," said Carrin Harris, CEO of Blitz Proto in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

"Our restaurant is known for our unique seasonings blends. The costs of the spices we use come from different countries, costs have gone up due to unpredictable tariff policies. We had planned a major expansion rolling out our signature seasonings to grocery stores with a big marketing campaign, but that plan has been scaled down significantly because of tariff uncertainty. We want to keep our products priced at a fair price that is affordable for everyone. We want to create more jobs in our community that pay thriving wages. The tariff uncertainty and the ripple effects of the Big Beautiful Bill have and will continue to make it more and more difficult for all of us in our pursuit of the American dream," said Gladys Harrison, Owner of Big Mama's Kitchen and Catering in Omaha, Nebraska.

Ranking Member Markey has been a strong advocate for small businesses grappling with Trump's reckless tariff policies. On June 27, Ranking Member Markey wrote to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) Stephen Miran, highlighting the economic burdens that small businesses are unfairly bearing under the Trump administration's reckless tariffs, and urging them to spare small businesses from the administration's tariff policies.

Ranking Member Markey has introduced the Small Business Liberation Act, legislation that would exempt small businesses from the broad, global tariffs imposed as a result of the national emergency declared on April 2 by President Trump. In May 2025, Republicans blocked his legislation on the Senate floor.

Ranking Member Markey previously wrote to Administrator Loeffler, Secretary Lutnick, and Ambassador Greer, calling on the Trump administration to exempt U.S. small businesses from Trump's reckless tariffs, and afford small businesses the same relief the administration is giving billion-dollar tech giants such as Apple and Google. In addition, Ranking Member Markey, along with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and all Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee wrote to Administrator Loeffler, urging her to take immediate action to address the impacts of Trump's reckless tariff policies on small businesses.

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