From 3% to 55%: Tariffs Are Overwhelming a Third-Generation Ohio Business

For a third-generation, family-owned company in Ohio that wholesales and manufactures equine products, tariffs have gone from a manageable cost to an existential threat.

The business supplies equine products to many other small companies across the United States — a supply chain built over decades. Before 2018, tariffs averaged around 3%. That changed dramatically with the China Section 301 tariffs, which pushed rates to 25%. Now, the latest round of tariffs has pushed the company into uncharted territory.

As the owner explained:

“The new 2025 tariffs are catastrophic and have touched every single product in our supply chain. Our average tariff now is around 55%.”

For a business of this size, tariffs at that level don’t just squeeze margins — they reshape the entire operation. Costs rise across every product line at once, leaving no room to offset losses internally or selectively adjust pricing.

This company has already paid more than $75,000 in tariffs, a burden that falls directly on a family business that has survived for generations by operating carefully and competitively.

Their experience highlights how tariff escalation compounds over time. What began as a targeted policy has become a blanket cost increase affecting every input, every product, and every downstream customer that relies on this Ohio manufacturer.

📢 If your small business has been directly affected by tariffs, consider sharing your experience through We Pay the Tariffs. These stories help show how trade policy changes are impacting long-standing American businesses and the networks that depend on them.