U.S. Manufacturers in Minnesota Are Paying the Price for Tariffs

In Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, a family-run manufacturer that supplies products to funeral homes across the country is facing a staggering financial strain. Despite manufacturing their products in the United States, tariffs on essential imported components have pushed their business into crisis.

The company shared the following:

“We use components from China in the products we make in Sleepy Eye. There is no source for these components in the U.S. The Trump tariff will add $38,000 to our cost this year. We import brass and aluminum products from India that are not available from U.S. sources, and the last shipment cost $51,000 in additional tariffs.”

In total, this Minnesota manufacturer has paid nearly $100,000 in extra tariffs this year — not because they’re offshoring production, but because the inputs needed to build their American-made products do not exist domestically.

This is exactly why We Pay the Tariffs continues to amplify small business voices in the national conversation — including before the Supreme Court, where the legality of using emergency powers to impose these tariffs is now under review.

📢 Stand with small American manufacturers. If you are a small business affected by tariffs, sign our open letter to support fair, stable, and accountable trade policy for U.S. businesses that are being hurt by emergency tariffs.