An Article by the Center of American Progress & My Thoughts

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Hello Everyone!

I wanted to jump on here and talk about an article I read from the Center of American Progress (CAP) titled In the First Year, President Trump’s Tariffs Have Cost Small-Business Importers $306,000 on Average by Michael Negron, Mimla Wardak, and Kennedy Andara. In it, they discuss statistics they calculated using reliable sources on recent tariff policies affecting American small businesses.

It is important to note that CAP is a left-leaning progressive journal that is not peer-reviewed. Given this, it can be assumed that the article may be biased. However, the data they present is reliably sourced and doesn't seem to have been tampered with to advance a position the CAP may wish to advance.

Figure 1 from the article displays the impact of tariff policies
They note that Small-Business Importers are paying $306,000 more per year on average since "Liberation Day" last year, April 2nd. They also mention the Federal Reserve’s Small Business Credit Survey, where they assert that "More than 4 in 10 [small businesses] report that tariff-related price increases are affecting their operations." Furthermore, the article highlights that 90% of the burden falls on small businesses, which often have to pass it on to customers rather than foreign exporters. 


It can sometimes be difficult to understand what these metrics actually mean in a regular civilian's life. Many individuals may not notice the slow but steady increase in consumer goods over the last few months, but it exists. In my local community, through my nonprofit and research, I get to see this firsthand. Interviewing over 10 business owners and community leaders, I have learned about their struggles and how frequently these struggles lead to higher prices for people like me. Some of my favorite stores in my town have raised prices, and I am no exception to not noticing the steady increase that has slowly driven me out of those retailers without me noticing. Learning firsthand about the obstacles they have faced connects the statistics presented in this article to my community, which I wish to support. From my research, collected last year and continuing in 2026, nearly all businesses have had to increase prices for customers, and even more who noted impacts from tariff policies have indicated price increases. 

Working with people like Christopher Mutty from the Charles River Chamber of Commerce and, most recently, Peter from Brookline Booksmith has allowed me to put these statistics into tangible local impact, and I hope my firsthand experience can be the same for you.


If you want to read the article yourself, here is the link: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/in-the-first-year-president-trumps-tariffs-have-cost-small-business-importers-306000-on-average/

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