Ahead of Small Business Saturday, U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Introduces Bill to Provide Immediate Tariff Relief to Small Businesses

OSSEO, MN – Today, ahead of Small Business Saturday, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) introduced the Small Business Restoring Equity for Local Importers through Economic Fairness Act – the Small Business RELIEF Act – which would exempt small business owners from Trump’s global baseline tariffs and provide refunds to the small businesses who were forced to pay them. Small businesses across the country are at a breaking point due to these exorbitant tariffs, and are being forced to raise prices, lay off staff, or close entirely.

“President Trump’s tariffs have placed enormous financial strain and stress on so many hard-working small business owners, and it’s long overdue for Congress to act,” said Congresswoman Morrison. “I’ve heard from many small business owners: small businesses desperately need relief from the Trump Administration’s tariffs. Congress needs to reclaim its Constitutional authority and right this wrong. I’m proud to lead the Small Business RELIEF Act and will keep working every day to bring much-needed relief to our small business owners.”

"Small businesses need relief from tariffs because tariffs put small firms at a competitive disadvantage relative to larger companies. Due to the thin margins on which many small businesses already operate, sweeping tariffs will force many small firms to pass higher costs on to customers. Larger businesses, however, are more likely to have flexibility to absorb increased overhead, keeping prices lower and undercutting their smaller competitors. There is no time to lose as far as small businesses are concerned, and lawmakers must act now to save small businesses from damaging tariffs," said John Arensmeyer, Founder and CEO, Small Business Majority.

"Small business owners have been sounding the alarm for months: President Trump’s so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are nothing more than an illegal tax on Main Street. They’re driving up costs, squeezing margins, and forcing entrepreneurs to make impossible choices between raising prices, cutting staff, or closing their doors. The Small Business RELIEF Act is a critical step toward righting those wrongs. Exempting small businesses from these reckless tariffs—and refunding the dollars already taken—will deliver immediate, overdue relief. Main Street Alliance strongly supports this legislation and urges members of Congress to stand with the small, independent businesses that form the backbone of our local economies,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director.

Read the full bill HERE.

Today’s legislation follows on the heels of Rep. Morrison’s latest effort to get relief for small businesses, when she led her colleagues in calling for Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately take up the bipartisan resolutions that passed the Senate last month to end President Trump’s global trade war and restore Congressional authority over tariffs. 

Earlier this year, after President Trump first announced his sweeping global tariffs, Representatives Morrison and Pappas introduced the Small Business Liberation Act, which would exempt small businesses from tariffs. Since this summer, the Representatives have continued to hear from small business owners who are ringing the alarm bell that the Trump Administration's tariffs pose an “existential threat” to their businesses.

As a member of the U.S. House Small Business Committee, Rep. Morrison has spent the year advocating for small business owners as they handle the uncertainty and financial stress that the Trump Administration’s tariffs have caused, including: