Small business owner Henrik Svendsen is closing his furniture store in Merriam, Kansas, because the trade war has made the products he sells nearly impossible to import and unaffordable for his customers. Since the president launched his trade war, Svendsen has paid over $160,000 in tariffs —a cost his business simply couldn’t absorb. “It’s [the tariffs] affected it to the fact that we decided to liquidate everything.”— Henrik Svendsen, CBS News The store’s closure means layo

For small business owners in Ohio, the rise and fall of sudden, steep tariffs is doing more than raising costs—it’s creating constant uncertainty. Kristen Serpico, executive director of Columbus-based Fiori Florals Design Studio, explained how the unpredictability of on-again, off-again tariffs is disrupting her ability to plan: " Tariffs didn’t exist six months ago within this industry, so to watch that change happen and to not know — how long are they going to stick around?

High tariffs are forcing some small businesses to dig beyond their bank accounts. In Oklahoma City, Keeley Electronics, a guitar pedal manufacturer with 33 employees, faced crushing import duties on parts sourced only from China. Owner Robert Keeley did something creative: “I decided to use my [American Express] points because I wasn't redeeming them for other things… It sounds like a lot of points, and that gives you a sense of how much I am paying in tariffs.” Robert Keeley

Tariffs have officially entered the bridal fitting room. Urban Set Bride, a boutique bridal shop in Richmond, Virginia, is now adding a 10% to 15% tariff surcharge to all gowns—a direct result of rising import costs tied to shifting trade policy. The exact surcharge depends on each designer’s supply chain and country of origin. Co-owner Christine Greenberg emphasized that it’s not just the dresses being impacted: "Veils, hairpieces, garment bags, hangers and even paper for th

In Texas and across the country, entrepreneurs who launched their businesses in pursuit of the American dream are now watching it unravel—due to steep, unpredictable tariffs imposed during Trump’s administration. Amy Leinbach, inventor and founder of Big Bee, Little Bee , started her business alongside her daughter. Now, she’s facing the harsh reality of trade policy volatility: " The uncertainty created by these rapid policy changes is as devastating as the tariffs themselve

When we think about tariffs, we don’t always think about where they show up—in this case, on our plates. But across the country, restaurants, food trucks, and small food importers are raising alarm bells about the downstream effects of high tariffs on the food industry. From Italian restaurants sourcing specialty ingredients to family-run distributors trying to keep shelves stocked, these businesses are being squeezed by costs they simply can’t absorb. One New Jersey-based fo

Across the auto industry, small suppliers are bearing the brunt of new tariffs—often before major manufacturers. In Michigan, SMT Automation, a small machinery maker for auto plants, saw Q1 revenue plunge by 40%, forcing an immediate reduction in staff. President Elena Morales added: " We had forecast to have a lot of work this year… Now, most companies are pushing back order times. The new building is empty and we have been letting people go." - Elena Morales, Financial Post

Even long-standing, family-run businesses are being forced to adapt—or shut down. In Holland, Michigan, a toy company that had thrived for 12 years announced it’s closing its physical operations and going fully digital after tariffs on Chinese imports surged to 30%. Marissa Berghorst, who co-owns the shop with her mother, shared her reality: "' This isn’t political for me... I’m a mom trying to run a small business and make sure families in our community have access to qualit

A recent CNN report details how America’s small manufacturers and retailers are reeling from the unpredictable and mounting tariffs introduced during President Trump’s second term. Julie Robbins, CEO of Ohio-based guitar pedal maker EarthQuaker Devices described the potential impact bluntly: “ My fear is, if this continues, there’s going to be like the mass extinction of small businesses. ” Julie Robbins, CNN Unpredictable trade policies have left tight-margin firms caught o

New and increased tariffs under former President Trump’s recent trade push are squeezing small manufacturers across the country. Many are discovering that moving production back home isn’t so simple—or affordable. South Carolina entrepreneur Rozalynn Goodwin shared her frustration: “Every manufacturer in the United States we’ve spoken to has told us, ‘You need to continue making this in China. It’s going to cost you three to four times more to make it here.’ Our customers wil

Many small businesses are feeling the financial squeeze as new trade tariffs roll out under the current administration. Mike Roach, co-owner of Paloma Clothing, a womenswear store in Oregon, shared a candid perspective on the stakes: " This is the worst and most uncertain situation we've ever been in... This is way worse than anything else in terms of not knowing what to do and what the future is going to hold because of the uncertain factor." Mike Roach, CBS News Tariffs are

Sandra Payne, president of Denver Concrete Vibrator, shared how she's feeling the squeeze of these incredibly high new tariffs: “It was 25% for this product. The product itself was $3,100. The tariffs are $675… We don’t want to raise our prices all the time. We’ve raised them a couple times in the last couple of years. But margins are tight and we will be forced to deal with this somehow.” Sandra Payne, The Colorado Sun Tariffs of this scale aren’t paid by foreign government