WASHINGTON, D.C., (June 22, 2022) — In case you missed it, Americans for Free Trade recently hosted a “Tariff Talk” roundtable with business leaders across various industries. Participants included:
- Chris DiTullio, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer, JOANN – Hudson, OH
- Sherrill Mosee, Inventor and Designer of MinkeeBlue – Philadelphia, PA
- Joe Shamie, Co-President of Delta Children’s Products – New York, NY
- Rob Cohen, VP, Display Supply & Lighting, Inc. – Boston, MA
- Joe Bell, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Aqua Filter Fresh, Inc. – Pittsburgh, PA
- Deena Ghazarian, Founder/CEO, Austere – Wilsonville, OR
- Anne Leventry, President, PanAmerican Seed Company – Chicago, IL
Kicking off the event, speakers took the time to note what tariffs really are: taxes on American businesses, consumers, and workers.
“The tariffs are really a tax on small businesses like ours.” – Rob Cohen
“This 25 percent tariff that you have put on, basically parents, is a tax on those individuals that have so many other expenses when a new child comes into their life. Why would you put 25 percent additional cost on [parents] developing safe places for their children to sleep, for their children to play, and for their children to enjoy?” – Joe Shamie
Throughout the event, participants also highlighted how the trade war with China has personally affected their companies:
“Small businesses like mine have taken a hit from tariffs, a global pandemic, rising logistics costs and increased employment costs. The Administration and Congress should take steps to provide tariff relief so small businesses can endure these challenges and thrive.” – Deena Ghazarian
“We would like to stay American-based, but these kinds of policies are very problematic for us.” – Anne Leventry
“I have raised my prices a little bit, but it really does not cover all of the additional costs with the tariffs.” – Sherrill Mosee
Inflation concerns were top-of-mind:
“Our customers, the American people, are in great need of inflation relief, and rescinding these tariffs can help achieve that goal.” – Chris DiTullio
“How many more blows can small businesses afford to take? A rescission of these tariffs can help us all feel relief from the inflationary market we are living in.” – Rob Cohen
“The tariffs are adding costs to an already inflationary market … As I stated we’re a small company and this has caused us to raise our cost to our customers.” – Joe Bell
Business leaders concluded that it’s time for the Biden administration to finally take action and address the trade war with China:
“I believe one of the most important actions the administration can take to help real Americans with inflation is to rescind the Trump-era Section 301 tariffs.” – Chris DiTullio
“I’m asking that the president really look into this, especially for a small business as myself to lower those taxes.” – Sherrill Mosee
If you are interested in speaking with someone about the trade war and its negative impact on Americans, please contact press@americansforfreetrade.com.
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