Alaska Manufacturer: “Tariffs Have Killed Our Ability to Give Raises, Hire, and Innovate”

In Anchorage, Alaska, a six-person bikepacking gear company is feeling the full impact of tariff-driven cost increases — not just on imported products but on the raw materials they rely on to manufacture gear here in the United States.

They shared the reality they’re facing:

“We manufacture both domestically and abroad. Tariffs impact raw material purchasing for domestic production and kill margin on final products imported. The margin loss has killed my ability to give raises, hire and advance innovation.”

For this Alaska manufacturer, tariffs have meant:

• Higher costs on materials used for U.S.-based production

• Crushed margins on imported components and finished goods

• No room for raises, hiring, or team growth

• Innovation delayed or halted because every dollar is goes toward tariff payments

Small businesses like this can’t just reengineer supply chains or absorb sudden 20%, 40%, or even 100% tariff spikes. Every increase affects real people — their workers, their families, and the future of their companies.

Their story is one of hundreds within the 800+ member We Pay the Tariffs coalition, a growing national network of small businesses speaking out about how tariffs are hurting American employers.

📢 If your small business has been affected by tariffs, we invite you to join We Pay the Tariffs. Sign our open letter to add your voice and stand with hundreds of other businesses fighting for fair, stable trade policy.