Average US Tariff Hits 14.3%, Highest Since 1939, Small Businesses Struggle

Americans faced an average effective tariff rate of 14.3%, the highest since 1939.

“Low-value imports lose their duty-free status in the United States this week”

L’actualité

97% of U.S. importers are classified as small businesses.

L’actualité

Helmets went from $35 to almost $100 at Bruised Boutique.

Ingredient costs soared at Dean's Sweets even after cocoa tariffs were removed.

The $800 de minimis threshold was eliminated nearly two years before Congress's original deadline.

More than a dozen countries temporarily suspended sending packages to the United States.

Marketplace

Economists warned this approach risked wreaking havoc on supply chains and spur inflation.

The Trump administration justified it as closing a loophole exploited by foreign companies.

The removal of the de minimis exemption increased tariffs on consumer goods for the first time since 2019.

“We hear from a chocolate maker, a skate shop owner, and a steel tubing supplier about what tariffs have meant for them over the past 12 months”

Marketplace.org

This acted as a back-door tariff hike on holiday gifts and everyday goods.

Supply chain experts warned businesses might rethink sourcing strategies.

Thousands of stakeholders faced heightened operational complexity.