Tariffs Are Threatening Fair-Trade Small Businesses

Tariffs aren’t just abstract policy decisions in Washington—they land hard on real businesses and the communities they support.

As Kelly Weinberger of WorldFinds explains:

“Our small fair-trade brand has been hit hard with tariffs. We've gone from 11% duties to 61% duties on our small batch jewelry & accessories from India. This is a lot to absorb and to share with our customers. We can't just switch to sourcing from another country, we purposely support specific, marginalized artisan partner communities. We are holding out hope that Congress, and now the Supreme Court, acts to get all new tariffs removed soon so that we can stay in business.”

A 50% tariff hike on fair-trade jewelry isn’t just unsustainable—it undermines entire missions built around long-term partnerships with marginalized communities. Unlike large corporations, these small businesses cannot simply shift production elsewhere. Their work is intentional, rooted in sustaining artisans who depend on these partnerships for opportunity and income.

If policymakers want to support U.S. small businesses and ethical trade, they must reconsider tariff hikes that place such an outsized burden on the very companies working to do business the right way.

📢 Join us in calling for change. Sign our open letter to Congress to urge relief for small businesses and fair-trade partners.