Today in Global Small Business: Trump's Obsession With More and More Tariffs

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Tariffs are an obsession for President Trump, much as climate was for the Biden Administration. How else to explain his imposition of yet another round of border taxes three months before the November election despite their political unpopularity and economic harm?
• ChatGPT for small businesses.
• Latest tariff update(s) from Global-e.
• Quote of the week:  “The European Union questioned the new tariff, with its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling it a “negative surprise” and rejecting the forced labor claims as unfounded."
• How people are really using AI in 2026 (HBR).
• What's going to happen with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement?

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement!  

SMBs Are Trapped in a Pressure Gap

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Bookipi study finds that SMBs are feeling the squeeze from rising supplier costs, late payments, reduced demand, and fear of climbing prices.

Small businesses worldwide are facing a widening financial "pressure gap" due to global instability, according to a new global survey from Bookipi, a global platform offering a comprehensive suite of AI-powered business management tools tailored for small businesses (SMBs) and solopreneurs. 

Tariffs, inflation, geopolitical instability, and trade tensions are driving costs higher, making customers more cautious, delaying payments, and prompting small business owners to hesitate before raising prices to protect profits.

Tariffs and the Impact on Small Business, Manufacturing, and Supply Chains

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What's the likelihood that small businesses will see tariff relief any time soon?  

Given the Trump Administration’s aggressive response to the Supreme Court’s decision, in which he promised to maintain or increase tariffs on importers of foreign goods using other sections of the Trade Act of 1974, it seems unlikely that material tariff relief for small businesses is coming soon.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of May, 2026, we average between 700,000-900,000 readers a month.  Thank you for your engagement! 

The Dismal Reality Is That Trump's Border Taxes are Raising Costs and ...

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The dismal reality is that Trump's border taxes are raising costs and have failed to usher in a manufacturing renaissance.

There’s no question his tariffs are raising costs for U.S. manufacturers. At the same time, foreign retaliation has hurt America’s farmers and depressed purchases of agriculture equipment. A slowdown in trade has also dented demand for semi-trucks.

Plus, the uncertainty hanging over the extension of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is delaying some investments since businesses don’t know what the trade rules or tariffs will be in a few years – or even tomorrow with Trump. 

Americans are unhappy. 

How Section 122 Tariffs Are Being Challenged

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At least two separate cases have now been filed at the Court of International Trade seeking to stop the Trump administration from utilizing Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act to impose tariffs on all imports into the U.S.

Learn more about Section 122 and ST&R's update.

Today in Global Small Business: Unlocking the Growth Equation for SMEs in Africa's Fragile Markets

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in fragile Africa need growth capital to thrive. Investors are constantly seeking promising businesses to invest in.
• Expand globally with confidence.
• Quote of the week:  “The African is my brother but he is my younger brother by several centuries." – Albert Schweitzer
• Small businesses wither under Trump’s tariffs: ‘It’s hard to breathe’.
• Five small businesses that helped knock down Trump's tariffs.
• How to boost exports?  Learn from France.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of February 1, 2026, we have more than 900,000 readers on a monthly basis.

The Bait and Switch Deal: The Legal Case Against Section 122 Tariffs

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Who would've guessed progressives would be quoting Milton Friedman? Yet here we are—22 Democratic Attorneys General just did exactly that, using the free-market legend’s words to take on President Trump’s new Section 122 tariffs. And, they’ve got a pretty solid argument.

Further, White House is slow-walking refunds. Judges shouldn’t let the Administration get away with another bait-and-switch.

Read the entire gifted article.

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of February 1, 2026, we have more than 900,000 readers on a monthly basis.

Well, Take That Supreme Court!

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By the WSJ Editorial Board (2/23/26) ... 

"Well, that will show the Supreme Court—or something. President Trump is reacting to his Friday tariff defeat not by calming the trade waters but by roiling them further. He is aiming in fury at the Supreme Court, but he will end up hitting the economy and Republicans in Congress.

The larger reality is that Mr. Trump is so bull-headed about tariffs that he’s going to re-impose them any way he can. Along with Section 122, he’ll fire up more Section 201, 301 and 232 (national security) studies and tariffs. But as our friend Don Luskin points out, these are pea shooters compared to the IEEPA tariffs the Court struck down. They are limited in scope and duration."

Access full commentary here on The Unending Trump Tariff Mess.

Today in Global Small Business: We Are Told the Global 15 percent Tariffs Announced by Trump on 2/21/26 Are a “Very Durable” Tool Legally

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• We are told that the global 15 percent tariffs announced by Mr. Trump on Saturday, 2/21/26 are a “very durable” tool legally, as reported on ABC's "This Week."
• CEOs go back to company war rooms to access what they can do to reclaim billions in paid levies. 
• Quote of the week:  "If you follow the devil, your journey will end up in the hell! This is what happens to those who follow the dictators!" – Mehmet Murat ildan
• We can't sit still:  Small businesses benefit from international trade.
• e.l.f. Beauty and rhode are giving the beauty business a makeover.  Key lesson:  "The leaders who watch, listen, and build are the ones who stay ahead." 
• Gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin is making the whole world shimmer!

Note:  The Global Small Business Blog has been in operation since 2004 and is ranked number one in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.  As of February 1, 2026, we have more than 900,000 readers on a monthly basis.

Tariffs Have Caused Disdain For American Businesses

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Export trouble.  One year in, many wine producers say tariffs have not helped them, and some countries are rejecting U.S. wine altogether.

The resistance to American products overseas has been especially painful for wine producers who had significant export markets, like Kutch Wines, which makes small amounts of exquisite pinot noirs and chardonnays from the Sonoma Coast and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Another California winemaker, Ridge Vineyards, a much bigger producer than Kutch, produces 28% of its sales through exports.

“Export has always been a big part of our business, and we’ve seen the effects,” he said. “The reaction was immediate and severe. Canada just stopped importing. It was our third-largest export market after the United Kingdom and Japan, and it just went away," says John Olney, Ridge's chief executive and head winemaker.

Since taking office last year, President Trump imposed tariffs on virtually all products imported into the United States. These tariffs have caused disdain for American businesses.

Tariffs Are Causing Brands to Back Away From the US and Expand Abroad Instead

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Matthew Hassett, the founder of lamp and clock brand Loftie, realized he couldn’t depend on the U.S. market like he had in the past. Ninety-five percent of Loftie’s sales were from U.S. customers, but the company was stuck paying tariffs of up to 180% to bring in products from China. 

Loftie needs components from abroad, and while it looked into operating a factory in Thailand, that turned out to be even more expensive than operating in China. “Until there’s some finality on these tariffs, it’s too risky to bet on being able to even sell here [in the U.S.],” Hassett told Modern Retail in an interview.

Read about Hassett's new plan here.

Tariffs Have Created Radical Uncertainty for Global Small Businesses

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The recent wave of tariffs and other trade controls has created radical uncertainty for businesses. Here’s how decision-makers can best position their companies to thrive in the evolving landscape. 

The Supreme Court Issues Major Announcement Concerning Tariffs

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Small businesses and states challenging the tariffs say Trump illegally invoked emergency powers to levy import taxes on goods from nearly every country, pushing them to the brink of potential collapse.

The nation's highest court, the Supreme Court, agreed to expedite a case challenging Trump's authority to impose broad tariffs under federal law. The justices scheduled arguments for November, an unusually quick timetable by the court's standards.

Let's see where this goes.  Hold on global small businesses.  Keep fighting!

Tariffs According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a tariff is a tax on imported goods paid by the U.S. business or individual receiving those goods at their port of entry. Broad-based tariffs raise prices for consumers and businesses and harm economic growth. They cause uncertainty and disrupt supply chains and are an especially big problem for small businesses that don’t have as many resources to withstand them. 

Learn more - the state of the economy, workforce, tariffs, the permitting process and the state of American business.

Today in Global Small Business: Global Superpower Maria Sharapova Is Competing in a New Arena and It's Not Tennis

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Global superpower Maria Sharapova is competing in a new arena and it's not tennis.  
• US inflation warms up in June as tariffs boost some goods prices.
• As a native of Chicago, I [Laurel Delaney] say to Trump:  Back off.
• Quote of the week:  Donald Trump calling Republicans “the dumbest group of voters in the country."  – True or not true?
• Build your own chatbot to answers questions about your documents.
• How tariffs are gradually raising costs for American consumers.

How To Cope With All the Chaos Going On In the World

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Uncertainty is a natural part of life, but it’s easy to feel completely overwhelmed when a lot of unknowns are coming your way at once—like, right about now.

Tariffs are being added and subtracted by the hour, causing wild swings in the global economy that could potentially cost you a ton of money. A ton of people who used to have jobs that seemed stable are now being fired. Plus, you’ve got whatever is happening in your personal life to deal with on top of worrying about a looming economic crisis.

Here are some tips from mental health pros that can actively help you cope with all the chaos going on in the world.

The New Trade Reality – wegginar® With Specialists Kim Doyle and Jessica Wargo, Partners at Plante Moran

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Between shifting tariff policies, an evolving trade landscape, and international tax changes in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, there are many moving pieces for taxpayers to keep track of.

During this wegginar® on Wednesday, 8/6/25 at 11 AM CT, "The New Trade Reality:  Taxes, Tariffs, and Small Business Success in 2025," Plante Moran’s international tax and global trade policy specialists – Kim Doyle and Jessica Wargo – will discuss the latest updates along with established planning strategies, keeping you on track and up to date.

To learn more and to register free of charge, visit: https://womenentrepreneursgrowglobal.org/2025/07/15/the-new-trade-reality-taxes-tariffs-and-small-business-success/

Stagflationary Shock

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President Trump has had little reason to scale back on his global trade was ambitions.  If the new tariffs go into effect on Aug. 1, they could unleash the sort of devastation to consumers and businesses that economists have long worried about and that Mr. Trump has mostly avoided.

Their fear stems from the specter of a stagflationary shock, in which inflation intensifies as growth stalls.

Definition of stagflation:

Stagflation is an economic situation where high inflation, slow economic growth (stagnation), and high unemployment occur simultaneously. It is a difficult economic condition to manage because efforts to combat one aspect (like inflation) can worsen the others (like unemployment). 

The economy has been resilient.  For how long?  The new round of tariffs may hit harder.

Great Analysis of How Tariffs Are Paid by Americans

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Ed Gresser's analysis of how tariffs impact consumers (Americans) is excellent.  If I were updating my Exporting book, which I should and will soon, I would reference this.  He uses an example of a Vietnamese supplier.

The buyers’ tariff payment [business owner who imports], in turn, is included in the bill you pay in the store. This is because these buyers add it to the bills they’ve paid to their Vietnamese supplier and to the shipping company carrying across the Pacific to the United States. The result is the “landed cost” from which they mark up to cover costs — wages, building rent, transport, maintenance, marketing, etc. — and leave a profit margin. If the product doesn’t sell, the store takes the loss; if you buy it, you cover their tariff cost. Using the hypothetical example of a container carrying 1,000 Vietnamese-made wooden chairs valued at $100 each, here's the arithmetic.

Read on for the full analysis.

How New Tariffs Are Impacting Small Businesses

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Sana Javeri Kadri of Diaspora Co. and Katya Eckert of A Domani return to "CBS Mornings" to discuss how changing tariffs are affecting their spice and sleepwear companies, and what it means for the future of small business.