How are small businesses reacting to Trump’s tariffs announcement?

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Wendy Bruu, owner of Dry Ridge’s Farm in Marshall, North Carolina, said the announcement of President Donald Trump’s tariffs is like a “pouring of salt into a wound that is just starting to heal.”

During the collection of small business owners on Wednesday, she said that tariffs would increase the cost of “everything from fertilizer and fodder to building materials and tractors”, hitting the agricultural community while it is still recovering from the losses of crops after the hurricane.

“We are personally faced with the uncertainty about how the Tariffs of Revenge will affect, will affect our biggest costs, our animal issue,” Bryu told ABC News Wlos ABC News.

President Donald Trump spoke during an event to announce new rates in the White House Rose Garden, April 2, 2025 in Washington, Colombia County

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Brugh and other small business owners weigh the rates that Trump revealed against almost all US trading partners on Wednesday afternoon. He has identified the tariffs as “kind reciprocal” and will focus on nations that they claim to be the ugliest offenders in trade with the United States

The new measures – which Trump has identified as “historical” – include a minimum base rate of 10% for all trading partners and further, more targeted penalties in certain countries, including China, the European Union and Taiwan.

“We will charge them approximately half of what they are, and they charge us,” he said, adding, “Because we’re very kind.”

Hendrick Svendsen, owner of a furniture store in Meriam, Kansas, told ABC News on Wednesday that he decided to close his store due to a Trump tariff message.

“We just made the decision we will close, we will come out in August,” Svendsen said.

He said there was no way to continue the work of the store using US products, with 90% of their items made abroad.

“I don’t think furniture production will ever return to the US North Carolina where it was previously done.” As for skills and workers, I don’t think we have this in the US “

Working to produce furniture in the United States have declined in the last few months, with 336,900 reporting in February, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Trade Secretary Howard Luni holds a diagram while President Donald Trump talks during an event to announce new rates in the White House Rose Garden, April 2, 2025, DC, DC

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Simon Bryant, the owner of a restaurant in San Francisco, told ABC Station KGO that food costs are already difficult to manage due to bird flu and tariffs can make things even more challenging.

“The reality is that everyone pays higher prices,” Bryant said. “We have to figure out what to do as a community.”

But there are individuals who are optimistic about tariffs, including Dwayne Padok, owner of Chevrolet car dealership in Buffalo, New York. He told ABC News Live that he has seen the best sales for 13 years.

Although he is not sure about the exact impact of the tariffs, he said he hoped Trump’s message was “the best thing about our country” and that his dealer will continue to “maintain prices as low as possible and make a fair share to help customers.”

“Whether President Trump was a Democrat or a Republican, I have to have faith in my president and that is what I decide to do,” Padok said.

He also emphasized the importance of these tariffs, allowing products to be made in the United States.

“This is a great opportunity for people to return to production and have the opportunity to have a great middle -class life and increase their compensation over time,” Padok said.

James Evans, a manufacturer who produces car parts in the US, told Baltimore ABC WMAR that the tariffs will be “great for us in six months to a year”.

“I think for three, four years, we have to create us other people who produce here in America for success,” Evans said. “I am good to deal with some headaches in the next six months to a year and hope that things are going the way I think they will go and then we will be good, but maybe not. Only time will tell.”

In South Carolina, shrimp captures are also pleased with the announcement of Trump’s tariffs. Rocky Magud told Charleston ABC WCIV’s branch that he will now be able to “sell everything” he caught. According to the alliance of southern shrimp, 94% of shrimp consumed in the United States are imported, with India and Ecuador delivering nearly 70%.

“These are the most great things we see,” Magud said. “Maybe people will want to buy more shrimp. I can’t say politics in one way or another because I’m not in politics. It’s not what my family feeds.”

But Leah Ashburn, President and CEO of Highland Brewing in North Carolina, said moving to US production is not possible in all industries, especially her company that relies on aluminum beer boxes. Although there are existing aluminum manufacturers in the United States, Canada is still the fourth largest major aluminum supplier after China, India and Russia, according to the Canadian government.

In 2021, the United States represents less than 2% of the global aluminum production, according to a report by the Congress Study Office.

“The United States just can’t target aluminum boxes,” Ashburn told WLOS. “The yield is not done here. The aluminum is 95%imported from other countries, and we are dependent on Canada. The effort to make aluminum here would be complicated, expensive and it takes a long time. It will not come soon enough.”

She also said that her business could not raise their prices because consumers “reached their limit for what they will pay for six packages.”

10% base rate goes into force on April 5, according to senior White House officials. “Prominent reciprocal” tariffs come into force on April 9 at 12:01, employees say and will affect approximately 60 countries.

Jaclyn Lee ‘Abc News.

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