(Chicago Tribune)—President Donald Trump’s goal of more manufacturing in the United States is laudable. However, the approach of using tariffs as a weapon is reckless and will lead to price hikes and supply chain disruptions and destroy the backbone of America — small businesses. As a small business owner, I know firsthand the pain of tariffs imposed on China and other countries. Tariffs represent a tax on companies importing and exporting products.
The U.S. has more than 34 million small businesses that account for 45.9% of employment and are responsible for 2.6 million new jobs created last year, a 2024 Small Business Administration report found. As we observe National Small Business Week, the mood is somber — because of Trump’s tariffs.
The administration’s argument that we must suffer short-term pain for long-term economic gain rings hollow to small businesses that lack cash flow to absorb increased supply costs. Many businesses will have to close their doors, and the carnage of lost jobs, tax revenue and community instability will be felt by local governments and American families. Is it right to ask unhoused veterans living under viaducts to wait years for a manufacturing renaissance that may never come? What about those who may lose health care coverage through Medicaid if proposed budget cuts go through?…
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