For Importers, Tariffs Stack and Jobs Are the First to Go

In Lakeville, Massachusetts, a small spirits importer distributes French spirits to customers in 40 states. Nearly 95% of the business depends on imports from France — a model that worked for years under stable trade and currency conditions. This year, that stability disappeared.

The company is now facing a 15% tariff on imported spirits — on top of a 12–15% loss from currency exchange rates. Together, those forces have created cost increases that simply can’t be passed along to customers in full.

As the company explained:

“As an importer, we cannot increase our price by 30% or even 15% because we would lose too much business. We’ve raised prices by 5–12%, and our suppliers have temporarily discounted 3–10%, but the rest of the loss is for us to absorb.”

Even with help from suppliers and modest price increases paid by consumers, the math doesn’t work. So far this year, the company is down 8% in revenue, with margins shrinking to the point where staffing decisions have already been affected.

One employee was laid off in April. The remaining team is lean — and essential.

For this Massachusetts spirits company, the question isn’t whether tariffs are “manageable.” It’s how long the business can keep its team intact under conditions it can’t control.

📢 If your small business has been affected by tariffs, consider adding your experience by signing on to our open letter. These stories help show how trade policy decisions translate into real losses — for businesses, workers, and families.