PLATTSBURGH — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is calling on the Trump Administration to provide tariff relief for struggling small businesses.
In a letter Thursday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked the administration to address the impacts of tariffs by “granting automatic exclusions for any small business importer, establishing a process for companies to apply for an exclusion if the company can demonstrate that tariffs pose a risk to employment for American workers, and providing exclusions for all products that cannot be produced in the United States or are not readily available.”
“The Chamber supports many of the President’s policy goals, including eliminating unfair trade and non-trade barriers, and driving American investment. At the same time, we have heard from a historic number of small businesses who have made it clear: they need immediate relief from tariffs,” Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said.
“As each day goes by, small businesses are increasingly endangered by higher costs and interrupted supply chains that will cause irreparable harm. We applaud the administration’s efforts to negotiate as many new trade agreements as possible that expand market access for U.S. companies and benefit American workers, but these deals take time, and many businesses simply can’t afford to wait while negotiations proceed.”
On April 2, which President Donald Trump dubbed “Liberation Day,” he enacted varying percentages of tariffs on all countries.
Chinese products got the worst of it, with its tariffs now as high as 145%. China soon after enacted 145% tariffs on U.S. products as well.
Canada, one of the U.S.’s largest trade partners, was also hit with 25% tariffs on its products; likewise, Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs at the same rate on U.S. products. Tariffs on goods covered by the USMCA trade agreement are exempt.
Though only in place for a month, tariffs are already troubling local officials.
The North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, just a half hour south of the nearest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, has unsurprisingly joined the U.S. Chamber’s call for these three immediate forms of tariff relief:
— Immediate exemption of small business. If SBA sectoral definitions are used, this would include manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees.
— Goods that are not produced in the U.S.
— Restoration of a process to seek exemptions for businesses that cannot immediately source elsewhere and where jobs are at stake.
Garry Douglas, Chamber President, said in a statement Thursday that the North Country is already being impacted negatively.
“We believe these are reasonable interim measures while awaiting trade agreements that could take many weeks or months,” Douglas said.
“These steps would mitigate economic damage which is starting to impact many North Country businesses. In the end, of course, we continue to seek the earliest possible resolutions of trade relationships, especially with Canada but also with other countries.”