When Erica Campbell ordered Easter gifts from China for her Arizona-based small business, she didn’t expect a sudden 20% tariff hike. Now, with shipments arriving just as new tariffs kick in, she’s stuck between raising prices and risking sales or eating the cost. 'How are we going to afford this?' she asks—echoing millions of American entrepreneurs caught in the crossfire of Trump’s latest trade moves.
According to a New York Times survey, small businesses make up 99.9% of US firms and rely heavily on Chinese imports. Tariffs on goods like auto parts, apparel, and electronics are squeezing already tight margins—threatening jobs and everyday affordability. Case in point: Car dealers, silk retailers, and gift shops face impossible choices, with many forced to pass costs to consumers.
Experts warn tariffs are a 'self-inflicted wound.' Over 250 product categories in the US rely 100% on Chinese suppliers, and shifting production isn’t simple. Result? Higher prices everywhere. A recent study estimates each US household could spend $1,200 extra annually. Even worse: Inflation hit 3% in January, while job growth slowed—hinting at deeper economic turbulence ahead.
Agriculture isn’t spared either. China’s retaliatory tariffs on US soybeans and beef have opened doors for competitors like Brazil and Australia, leaving American farmers in the lurch. Meanwhile, plans for even broader 'reciprocal tariffs' in April could spell disaster for small businesses, as Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick doubles down on reshaping trade—a move critics call 'economic myopia.'
The takeaway? History repeats itself. Trump’s first tariffs cost families $88 billion in lost income. Round two could hit harder. As small businesses brace for impact, one question looms: Will Washington listen before it’s too late?
NewspaperAmigo – Your Global News Buddy 
'How are we going to afford this?' she asks—echoing millions of American entrepreneurs caught in the crossfire of Trump’s latest trade moves.
According to a New York Times survey, small businesses make up 99.9% of US firms and rely heavily on Chinese imports. Tariffs on goods like auto parts, apparel, and electronics are squeezing already tight margins—threatening jobs and everyday affordability. Case in point: Car dealers, silk retailers, and gift shops face impossible choices, with many forced to pass costs to consumers.
Experts warn tariffs are a 'self-inflicted wound.' Over 250 product categories in the US rely 100% on Chinese suppliers, and shifting production isn’t simple. Result? Higher prices everywhere. A recent study estimates each US household could spend $1,200 extra annually. 
Even worse: Inflation hit 3% in January, while job growth slowed—hinting at deeper economic turbulence ahead.
Agriculture isn’t spared either. China’s retaliatory tariffs on US soybeans and beef have opened doors for competitors like Brazil and Australia, leaving American farmers in the lurch. Meanwhile, plans for even broader 'reciprocal tariffs' in April could spell disaster for small businesses, as Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick doubles down on reshaping trade—a move critics call 'economic myopia.'
The takeaway? History repeats itself. Trump’s first tariffs cost families $88 billion in lost income. Round two could hit harder. As small businesses brace for impact, one question looms: Will Washington listen before it’s too late? 
