| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2025 Contact: [email protected] Knoxville Small Business Owners Sound Alarm on Tariffs Tariffs Cost Us Announces New College Football Ad Campaign The Trump Administration’s across-the-board tariffs are raising prices for consumers, increasing costs for businesses, and forcing small companies to make difficult choices about their future. Since April, the administration has imposed tariffs of 10%–50% on nearly all imports, with higher rates for dozens of countries and industries. The average tariff rate now tops 18.6%, the highest since 1933. On a press call today, Knoxville-area small business owners shared their direct experiences how these tariffs are driving up costs, narrowing margins, and threatening their ability to stay open. “Before the tariffs, my beans from Sumatra were $7 a pound now they’re around $10. I’ve had to raise prices, stop selling bags of coffee, and I’m still barely breaking even,” said Justin D’Agostino, Owner of Café Lomez. “I didn’t start this business to chase profits, I started it to share great coffee with people. But these tariffs are making it harder and harder for small businesses like mine to survive.” “Dress costs have increased by 54% because of tariffs,” said Diane D’Angelo, Owner and Designer of D’Angelo Couture Bridal, and manufacturer who’s been in the bridal business for over 40 years. “Last season I absorbed the tariffs myself to help the stores keep costs down —but I can’t anymore. I’ve had to start listing the tariff as a line item, not to pass the buck, but to be transparent to the stores I sell to . These costs aren’t coming from me—they’re being forced onto all of us. If this keeps up, a lot of small bridal businesses and designers won’t survive.” As part of the event, Tariffs Cost US also announced a new football seasona ad campaign launching in Tennessee to raise awareness of how tariffs are impacting everyday families and businesses, including the cost of football tailgating. The campaign will run leading up to and during the September 13 Georgia vs. Tennessee football game in Knoxville and will include an airplane banner flying over the stadium on game day, mobile billboards around tailgates and a targeted digital ad buy. Ad Examples:    ### About Tariffs Cost US Tariffs Cost US is a new campaign dedicated to providing the public with reliable, comprehensive information about global trade and tariffs, and their impact on both businesses and consumers. More information is available at https://tariffscostus.com/. |
