Nicola Perry has been running her British restaurant and shop, Tea & Sympathy in New York City, for over 30 years. She imports almost everything: baked beans, clotted cream, teas and tea pots.

“We've already had lots of emails from purveyors saying the prices are going to go up because of the tariffs,” Perry said.

And that means she’ll have to raise prices for her customers.

She plans on telling them why. “‘Sorry guys, but the tariffs are costing us X amount.’ So we're sharing it out amongst everybody,” she said. “Otherwise we won't be here.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to the Trump administration this week saying that tariffs pose “significant risks to U.S. employment” and may soon do “irreparable harm” to many small businesses — like Tea & Sympathy.  

The Chamber, which represents businesses of all sizes, is asking the administration to lift tariffs on any goods that “cannot be made in the U.S.,” establish a tariff exclusion process and automatically exempt small business importers from tariffs.

Another small business being impacted by tariffs is Little Things Toy Store in Brooklyn. Mitchell Szpicek is the owner, but he’s worried his shop might not be there much longer. Almost everything he sells comes from China. 

“We are seriously considering all options in terms of what we need to do to survive,” he said.

Namely: trying to stock up on extra inventory that’s already arrived in the U.S. to keep prices down and make sure he doesn’t end up with empty shelves.

He’s applied for a home equity line of credit. If he gets it, “I can start stocking up for the holidays. But if I don't get that loan, I won't have holiday merchandise, possibly,” he said.

If he doesn’t have enough toys to sell, he’s not sure the shop can survive.