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July 24, 2025
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ICYMI: “We Got Hit Pretty Hard”: Michigan Small Business Owners Discuss Trump Tariffs
Yesterday, small business owners in Detroit, Michigan gathered to discuss how the Trump Administration’s across-the-board tariffs are raising prices for consumers, increasing costs for businesses, and forcing small businesses to make difficult choices about their future.
While July 9 marked the end of the original 90-day pause on the tariffs and when new agreements with major trading partners were promised, the Trump Administration continues to move the goalposts and is announcing new tariffs. In recent weeks, the administration announced new 30% tariffs on the E.U. and Mexico, 35% tariffs on Canada, and 50% tariffs on Brazil – as well as new tariffs on graphite and copper. In addition to the added costs from the tariffs, the constant change is creating intense disruption and economic uncertainty for business owners across industries from farming to coffee to retail.
- Michigan Public Radio: Detroit small business owners says tariffs could push them out of the market
Charity Dean is president of the Michigan Black Business Alliance. At a press conference Wednesday, Dean said small businesses can only absorb rising costs from their suppliers for so long.
“Although it is July, and not everyone has passed the cost down, the cost will go to the consumer. We are going into a recession. We will see the impacts of this and it’s going to start with the least of these first unfortunately. It is generally those with the least access that are the most impacted,” Dean said.
“I was absorbing that cost at first, but now I’m actually increasing prices and slowly moving that cost to my customers,” said Craig Batory, owner of Craig’s Coffee in Detroit.
Batory, who imports coffee beans from Brazil, faces particular challenges due to the nature of his product.
“Coffee can’t be grown commercially in the United States so I’ve been making more transitions to buy more domestic products for my brand, but the one thing we spend the most money on, at least 60%, is raw coffee,” Batory said.
“We got hit pretty hard when it comes to Tariffs,” said [Jessica Kwalli, Owner, Jessica Blair Beauty]. “The majority of the hair extensions come from China. I have customers that were used to paying $100-$150 and now that has doubled.”
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