Washington (May 8, 2025) - Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today held a virtual listening session with small business owners in Massachusetts and small business owners who serve the Commonwealth on the devastating impacts the Trump Tariffs are having on them.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, but to small business owners, Trump’s Tariffs are back breaking. Trump’s Tariffs have cost small businesses more than $9,000 every second since he announced his chaotic, reckless policy. This administration is only working to protect the interest of big businesses, telling small businesses to ‘wait it out.’ This is unacceptable. Small businesses live day to day, week to week, or even month to month. They cannot afford to wait and see what happens in Washington – their livelihoods and communities depend on their ability to operate. That is why I introduced the Small Business Liberation Act. This bill would provide small businesses with the relief they need. This should not be a partisan issue, and I will continue to fight to pass this legislation,” said Ranking Member Markey.

“I operate a USA based manufacturing business where our raw materials - green coffee - literally cannot be produced in the US, yet we are still subject to tariffs. These additional taxes (which is effectively what they are) are sending shockwaves through an industry that was already facing record high prices. We have no other choice but to raise our prices and pass some of these costs to our consumers.  But of course there is a ceiling to what people can and will pay for coffee, so we risk alienating our customer base, driving them back to the bigger businesses, like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, and contributing to continued inflationary economy.  The choices are terrible,” said Shayna Ferullo, Owner of Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters.

"These aren’t luxury items for us. They’re the foundation of what we do — and when prices double, so do the barriers to growth, opportunity, and community impact. When costs go up and margins shrink, it’s not just our business that feels it — it’s the people we’re training, the clients we serve, and the communities we’re trying to uplift. Before policies are passed, we’re simply asking for a seat at the table — because decisions made at the top are felt most by businesses at the street level,” said Steeve Louis-Charles, Co-founder of Boston Pro Sound.

"I will run out of inventory in less than 2-3 months.  I can no longer afford to bring my products into the USA.  If I can't figure something out quickly, I will have to shut down my business.  I will no longer have revenue to pay my employees, bills, vendors, and loans.  I will lose my home.  Small, American-owned businesses need immediate relief from tariffs,” said Beth Benike, Founder of Busy Baby.

"My lease needs to be renewed and given the uncertainty around the new tariffs, I don’t know if I can afford to stay open unless I shift to an entirely new financial model. In less than two weeks we will have to make a decision on the future of our company that could lock at least 100 people back into a cycle of generational poverty,” said Brandale Randolph, Founder of 1854 Cycling Company.

“As a small, fourth-generation, family-owned business founded on the ‘American Dream,’ we fully support bringing businesses back to the United States. However, handcuffing us with increased costs and decreased availability on products that are necessary for our success, is making us less competitive, not more competitive,” said Zack Rocheleau, Supply Chain Manager, Rocheleau Tool & Die.

"Today, Main Street Alliance members Beth Benike of Busy Baby, Jen Faigel of the Commonwealth Kitchen, and Shayna Ferullo of Snowy Owl shared their personal stories with Sen. Markey about the impact of the Trump Tariffs. Without small business relief, shelves are going to go empty and entrepreneurs will go bankrupt. That's why MSA strongly supports Sen. Markey's 'Small Business Liberation Act' and urges members of the US Senate to co-sponsor this essential legislation," said Shawn Phetteplace, National Campaigns Director, Main Street Alliance.

“The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) is incredibly grateful to Senator Markey and his team for hosting a listening session that explored the impact federal trade policies are having on small businesses. Brandale Randolph of 1854 Cycling and Steeve Louis-Charles of Boston Professional Sound Inc., BECMA members, were able to share how detrimental tariffs and the subsequent supply chain challenges already have been to their businesses. Small business is the backbone of the Massachusetts economy, and we will continue to advocate for policies that will positively impact small business growth and sustainability,” said Nicole Obi, President & CEO of BECMA.

“The tariffs are a nightmare for our small business community, including the farms, food trucks, caterers, product companies, and restaurants we represent and work with. Small businesses, unlike large businesses, don't have teams of lobbyists nor safety nets underneath us. We are already seeing a domino effect on an awful lot of people that will be hurt: when our businesses go down, the insurance brokers go down, the drivers go down, the distributors go down, and the marketing teams go down,” said Jen Faigel, co-founder and Executive Director of CommonWealth Kitchen. 

This week, Ranking Member Markey, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Small Business Liberation Act, legislation that would exempt small businesses from the broad, global tariffs imposed as a result of the national emergency declared on April 2, 2025, by President Trump. The Small Business Liberation Act gives the more than 34 million U.S. small businesses needed relief from the overly broad, reckless Trump Tariffs that are wreaking havoc on their businesses.

Ranking Member Markey recently wrote to Small Business Administrator Loeffler, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, calling on the Trump administration to exempt U.S. small businesses from the reckless Trump Tariffs, and afford them the same relief that the administration is giving billion-dollar tech giants such as Apple and Google.

Previously, Ranking Member Markey, along with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and all Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee wrote to Administrator Loeffler, urging her to take immediate action to address the impacts of Trump’s reckless tariff policies on small businesses.

In April 2025, Ranking Member Markey released a report, “The Trump Tariffs: A Small Business Crisis,” which details the disastrous impacts of Trump’s tariff policies on small businesses across the country.

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