Wendy Brugh, proprietor of Dry Ridge Farm in Marshall, North Carolina, mentioned President Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement is like “pouring salt in a wound that’s simply now starting to heal.”
Throughout a gathering of small enterprise homeowners on Wednesday, she mentioned tariffs will improve the prices of “every part from fertilizer and feed to development supplies and tractors,” hitting the farming group whereas it nonetheless recovers from crop losses after Hurricane Helene.
“We’re personally confronted with the uncertainty of how retaliatory tariffs will have an effect on our largest expense, our animal feed,” Brugh instructed ABC Information’ Asheville affiliate WLOS.
President Donald Trump speaks throughout an occasion to announce new tariffs within the Rose Backyard on the White Home, April 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Brugh and different small enterprise homeowners are weighing in on the tariffs Trump unveiled in opposition to nearly all U.S. buying and selling companions on Wednesday afternoon. He described the tariffs as “form reciprocal” and can deal with nations he claimed have been the worst offenders in commerce relations with the U.S.
The brand new measures — which Trump described as “historic” — embrace a minimal baseline tariff of 10% on all buying and selling companions and additional, extra focused punitive levies on sure nations, together with China, the European Union and Taiwan.
“We are going to cost them roughly half of what they’re and have been charging us,” he mentioned, including, “as a result of we’re being very form.”
Hendrick Svendsen, the proprietor of a furnishings retailer in Merriam, Kansas, instructed ABC Information on Wednesday he has determined to shut his retailer as a result of Trump’s tariffs announcement.
“We simply made the choice we’re going to shut down, we will probably be out in August,” Svendsen mentioned.
He mentioned there is no such thing as a approach to proceed the shop’s operation through the use of American-made merchandise, with 90% of their objects made abroad.
“I do not assume that furnishings manufacturing is ever going to return again to the U.S. North Carolina, the place it was made, it is like a ghost city,” Svendsen mentioned on ABC News Live. “Relating to ability and staff, I do not assume we have now that within the U.S.”
Furnishings manufacturing jobs in america have declined over the previous few months, with 336,900 reported in February, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick holds a chart as President Donald Trump speaks throughout an occasion to announce new tariffs within the Rose Backyard on the White Home, April 2, 2025, in Washingto, D.C.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Simon Bryant, a restaurant proprietor in San Francisco, instructed ABC station KGO that meals prices have already been troublesome to handle as a result of chook flu, and the tariffs may make issues much more difficult.
“The truth is everybody’s paying larger costs,” Bryant mentioned. “Now we have to determine what to do as a group.”
However, there are people who’re optimistic concerning the tariffs, together with Duane Paddock, the proprietor of a Chevrolet dealership in Buffalo, New York. He instructed ABC News Live that he has seen the most effective gross sales in 13 years.
Whereas he’s unsure of the precise affect of the tariffs, he mentioned he’s hopeful that Trump’s announcement is the “smartest thing for our nation” and that his dealership will proceed to “maintain costs as little as doable and do our justifiable share to assist the purchasers.”
“Whether or not President Trump was a Democrat or Republican, I’ve to think about my president and that is what I select to do,” Paddock mentioned.
He additionally careworn the significance of those tariffs permitting for merchandise to be made in america.
“It is an amazing alternative for individuals to get again with manufacturing and have a possibility to have an amazing middle-class life and improve their compensation over the course of time,” Paddock mentioned.
James Evans, a producer who produces automotive elements within the U.S., instructed Baltimore ABC affiliate WMAR the tariffs will probably be “nice for us in six months to a 12 months most likely.”
“I believe in three, 4 years, it ought to set us up and different individuals which might be manufacturing right here in America for fulfillment,” Evans mentioned. “I am high quality with coping with some complications for the following six months to a 12 months and hopefully issues go the best way I believe they’re gonna go after which we’ll be good, however possibly not. Solely time will inform.”
In South Carolina, shrimp catchers are additionally happy with Trump’s tariff announcement. Rocky Magwood instructed Charleston ABC affiliate WCIV that he’ll now have the ability to “promote every part” he catches. In accordance with the Southern Shrimp Alliance, 94% of shrimp consumed in america is imported, with India and Ecuador supplying practically 70%.
“That is the best stuff we see,” Magwood mentioned. “Possibly individuals will need to purchase our shrimp extra. I can not say on the politics a technique or one other as a result of I am not into politics. That is not what feeds my household.”
However Leah Ashburn, the president and CEO of Highland Brewing in North Carolina, mentioned transferring to American manufacturing shouldn’t be possible in all industries, particularly her firm, which depends on aluminum to make beer cans. Whereas there are current aluminum producers in america, Canada remains to be the fourth-largest main aluminum supplier, behind China, India and Russia, based on the Canadian government.
In 2021, america accounted for lower than 2% of worldwide aluminum manufacturing, based on a Congressional Research Service Report.
“The U.S. merely cannot pivot to creating aluminum cans,” Ashburn instructed WLOS. “Mining shouldn’t be finished right here. Aluminum is 95% introduced in from different nations, and we’re depending on Canada. The trouble to make aluminum right here can be complicated, expensive and take a whole lot of time. It will not come quickly sufficient.”
She additionally mentioned her enterprise can not elevate their costs as a result of shoppers have “hit their restrict on what they’ll pay for a six-pack.”
The ten% baseline tariff charge goes into impact on April 5, based on senior White Home officers. The “form reciprocal” tariffs go into impact April 9 at 12:01 a.m., officers mentioned, and can have an effect on roughly 60 nations.
ABC Information’ Jaclyn Lee, Alexandra Hutzler, Lauren Lantry and Michael Pappano contributed to this report
