Small Business Owners Warn: Tariffs Are Raising Prices, Halting Hiring, and Putting Main Street at Risk
At a press conference Tuesday at the Historic Valley Junction in Des Moines, small business owners and farmers from across Iowa delivered a clear message: tariffs are hurting the communities they call home. With supply chains disrupted, inventory costs soaring, and customers cutting back, small business owners discussed the many challenges and economic uncertainty from tariffs.
- Iowa Capital Dispatch | Small business owners urge Iowa’s congressional leaders to end the ‘chaotic’ tariffs
“The truth is, we’re not a big corporation, we can’t absorb these added costs,” said Meredith Wells, co-owner of MoMere in Valley Junction.
“We run on tight budgets, and every disruption cuts deeper. These tariffs aren’t being paid by foreign governments, they’re being paid by small businesses like ours—and ultimately, by our customers.”
- WHO13 | Iowa small business owners asking for relief in tariff war
“It’s extremely chaotic—it’s hard to keep track of,” said Val Veiock, owner of gift shop Bing’s.
“The biggest concern for me is the cost increase that I’m having to pass on to consumers.”
Wells highlighted the impact on customers firsthand: “We had a dress arrive in March and reordered the same one in a different color in May—it cost $10 more. This dress has tariffs. That one didn’t.”
- We Are Iowa | Iowa small business owners, farmers urge Congress to reclaim tariff power amid economic uncertainty
“We’ve tried hoarding products and investing ahead of time, but we just don’t have the inventory space or capital like big corporations do,” said Veiock.
“So we’re forced to put the tariff cost on the customer.” Wells warned, “We’ve heard from one vendor that their typical port cost for holiday shipments is jumping from $400,000 to $4 million. That is not a price increase—that is a crisis.”
- Iowa Agribusiness | Trump’s tariffs are hitting small farms hard
“Short-term pain for long-term gain doesn’t work if you can’t survive the short term,” said Lehman. “Small farms are already stretched thin, and this volatility could mean some never make it to see the upside.”
He urged Iowa’s elected officials to speak up: “Our leaders need to tell the truth about what’s happening to farmers in this state.”
- KCCI | Small business owners urge Iowa’s congressional leaders to end the ‘chaotic’ tariffs
“I’ve been in business for eight years, and this time is really uncertain for us,” said Veiock. “It’s even harder than COVID, because it’s something that people and politicians in Washington could make a difference and take care of right now.”
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