The president of California-based LEDtronics worries that tariffs will push prices up — and maybe lose him customers.
Photographer: Jessica Pons/BloombergEconomics
Trump’s Tariff Wars Leave US Small Business With Nowhere to Hide
Firms have less ability to absorb costs, or bargain for special treatment, than bigger rivals.
American companies of all sizes are on edge over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but it’s arguably small business that is most exposed.
Many smaller firms say they’re having to hike prices, freeze expansion plans or absorb a hit to already-thin profit margins as import bills climb. Such businesses employ half the US workforce, so how they cope with Trump’s ramped-up trade war will be crucial to the wider economic impact.