Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, ECONOMIC NEWS—U.S. Chamber of Commerce asks for relief from tariffs for small businesses and workers, (May 2, 2025)

By WK Editorial Staff

“Whether it is coffee, bananas, cocoa, minerals or numerous other products, the reality is certain things just can’t be produced in the United States,” said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO.

In a letter sent this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has urged the Trump administration to mitigate the adverse effects of tariffs on small businesses by implementing automatic exclusions for small business importers. The Chamber's letter also calls for a process allowing companies to apply for exclusions if tariffs threaten American jobs and for exclusions on products that cannot be produced domestically or are not readily available.

“The Chamber supports many of the President’s policy goals, including eliminating unfair trade and non-trade barriers, and driving American investment. At the same time, we have heard from a historic number of small businesses who have made it clear: they need immediate relief from tariffs,” said Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “As each day goes by, small businesses are increasingly endangered by higher costs and interrupted supply chains that will cause irreparable harm. We applaud the administration’s efforts to negotiate as many new trade agreements as possible that expand market access for U.S. companies and benefit American workers, but these deals take time, and many businesses simply can’t afford to wait while negotiations proceed.”

Efforts being made. The Chamber states that it has been making efforts to help businesses get relief, including hosting hundreds of small businesses at an annual small business day this week, as well as holding a call with thousands of small business participants related to navigating the tariffs. The Chamber claims that it is seeking to protect businesses of all sizes, along with their workers, by establishing an exclusion process for companies and American workers whose jobs are threatened by tariff impacts. Also, it is asking the administration to prevent escalating prices for consumers through exclusions on products that are not produced in the United States.

“Whether it is coffee, bananas, cocoa, minerals or numerous other products, the reality is certain things just can’t be produced in the United States,” said Clark. “Raising prices on those products will only hurt families struggling to pay their bills. In addition, the administration should protect American workers facing imminent job loss from the impact of tariffs by allowing for exemptions for companies at risk of layoffs.”

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