Photo: Jay Willett/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) aims to push back against the Trump administration’s tariffs that impact local small businesses.
Markey introduced the “Small Business Liberation Act” at the grand opening of Henry Bear’s Park Toy Store in Cambridge on Friday.
“That bill is going to exempt all small businesses from Trump’s tariffs,” the state senator said.
He added that President Trump’s tariffs have cost small businesses tens of billions of dollars already, and toy stores saw mark ups on products as high as 150%.
The owner of the new Cambridge toy store, Kas Sharma, told WBZ NewsRadio that the tariffs put every aspect of his business at risk.
“It impacts pricing, product availability, selection, and all sort of decisions related to our investment and growth,” Sharma said.
President Trump issued a 90-day pause on the 145% tariffs on Chinese imports earlier this week. Manufacturers and owners are scrambling to stock up on merchandise before the high import tax gets reinstated again.
“Small businesses live day to day, week to week, or even month to month,” Senator Markey said. “They cannot afford to wait and see what happens in Washington – their livelihoods and communities depend on their ability to operate.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWilletWBZ) reports.