U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Calls on Trump Administration to Provide Immediate Relief for Small Businesses, Who Are Being Crushed By President’s Reckless Tariff War
President Trump’s tariffs are posing an existential threat to America’s small businesses
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) is continuing to pressure the Trump-Vance Administration to provide immediate relief for small business owners from President Trump’s reckless, unnecessary, and unpredictable trade war.
While President Trump has been making exemptions for billionaire business owners, Rep. Morrison is fighting for small business owners to get the same relief.
“America’s small business owners may not have millions of dollars to personally lobby the President for tariff relief – but they are the backbone of our economy and they deserve a level playing field. Their voices must be heard.
“President Trump is failing our small business owners. His reckless tariff wars pose an existential threat to America’s small businesses. We are fighting to get immediate relief,” said Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.
Rep. Morrison is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business. In a new letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Rep. Morrison is raising the concerns she has heard from small businesses owners, calling out the disproportionate burden Trump’s exorbitant tariffs pose to small businesses, and fighting to ensure that small business owners get immediate relief from these unnecessary trade wars.
Read the full letter below and HERE:
Dear Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer,
I write on behalf of the small businesses in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District to request relief from the Trump Administration’s sweeping tariff policy. President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imports from nearly every country – and 145% tariffs on many Chinese goods – poses an existential threat to American small businesses. Without prompt reprieve from these tariffs, small businesses in my community will be forced to raise prices, lay off staff, or close their doors entirely.
Compared to large corporations, small businesses generally operate on tighter margins and are more sensitive to sudden increases in operating costs. As uncertainty persists and consumer sentiment continues to decline due to the Administration’s unnecessary trade war, small businesses need urgent relief. We have heard from local small business owners who fear that President Trump’s careless tariff policy could put them out of business within months.
On April 11, the Trump Administration issued a temporary exemption for smart phones, computers, and other electronics, excluding them from the 125% “reciprocal tariffs” levied on Chinese imports. While we welcome the suspension of these tariffs to provide relief to American
consumers, we remain concerned that the Administration is more attuned to the needs of large corporations than small businesses. Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook, whose company will benefit significantly from the most recent wave of exemptions, has reportedly developed a personal relationship with President Trump and donated $1 million to his Inaugural Committee.1 Despite President Trump’s insistence that no company will be getting “off the hook” from his sweeping tariffs, the reality is that the Administration has moved forward with a targeted exemption that will benefit large corporations like Apple, while small businesses are left to fend for themselves.
Small businesses often lack the negotiating power of technology giants like Apple, who retain government affairs professionals to help the company navigate sophisticated policy and regulatory landscapes. As the U.S. Representative of a district with a vibrant ecosystem of Minnesota small businesses, I write to you to advocate for their opposition to President Trump’s ongoing trade war. If the Trump Administration is willing to be responsive to the concerns of large corporations, I implore you to be equally responsive to small enterprise and to issue an identical tariff exemption for American small businesses.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Kelly Morrison
Member of Congress
###