An open letter from 38 female consumer product founders expressed concerns that President Trump’s increased tariffs could severely impact small businesses. Although Trump has temporarily paused tariff increases for many countries for 90 days, setting the rate at 10%, China’s tariffs have been raised to 145%, which includes a previous 20% levy.
In the letter, published on Thursday, the founders urged President Trump and Congress to reconsider the tariff increases, at least until small businesses can secure more affordable supply chain alternatives. They also requested exemptions for small businesses if these alternatives are unattainable.
Allison Luvera, the founder of Juliet Wine, a company that sells upscale boxed wine directly to consumers, authored the letter. She reported facing an unexpected annual expense of $200,000 due to reliance on an overseas supplier for a critical packaging component, with no domestic alternatives available.
The letter highlighted other issues faced by businesses, such as a home-cleaning brand that has to source refillable pouches from overseas due to the lack of available options in the U.S. The tariffs are projected to increase the cost of these packaging materials by 80%.
The group, which claims their businesses collectively generate $800 million annually and employ thousands, commented that tariffs disproportionately affect small businesses. They noted that unlike large corporations, small businesses do not have the leverage to renegotiate supply chain contracts, the margins to absorb significant cost increases, or the capital necessary to restructure global supply chains rapidly.
The signatories are calling on other small business owners and concerned individuals to lobby Congress for a small business assessment to understand the economic impact. They seek exemptions for small businesses from such tariff increases or, alternatively, advocate for grants, tax incentives, or technical assistance to alleviate the supply chain challenges intensified by Trump’s trade policies.
Among the signatories are designer Rebecca Minkoff, Alison Wyatt of the Female Founder Collective, Emily Doyle and Mei Kwok of Dune Suncare, and Yanghee Paik of Rael.
