FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact
Janel Knight Trulear
janel@emccommunications.com
(617) 875-6581

STATEMENT: Small businesses call on Congress for tariff relief as costs surge 275% overnight, stifling growth and hiring

Small business owners detail crushing costs, unpredictable policy changes threatening Main Street businesses during a press conference with Sen. Markey, the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Entrepreneurship and Small Business

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2025– Small Business for America's Future network members Legrand Lindor, owner of LMI Textiles in Milton, Massachusetts and Nunzio DeFilippis, Co-CEO of CargoTrans in Manhasset, New York, spoke today at a press conference hosted by Sen. Ed Markey, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Entrepreneurship and Small Business, alongside U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). They called on Congress to pass tariff relief policies like the Small Business RELIEF Act, which would provide targeted relief to help Main Street businesses.

"One of our most recent shipments just hit us with a $15,000 tariff bill for the exact same products that used to cost us $4,000 in tariffs before February. That's a 275% increase. This is not sustainable. Small businesses like mine don't have the cash reserves that big corporations have to absorb the impacts of these kinds of sudden policy changes. These cost increases are incredibly damaging and put small businesses like mine in jeopardy. That’s why we need Congress to pass remedies like then Small Business RELIEF Act. It would provide retroactive relief and predictable tariff policy so businesses like mine can focus on growing instead of just surviving the next tariff surprise."

Legrand Lindor
LMI Textiles
Milton, Mass. 

"I help small businesses navigate global trade and I'm watching them get crushed by these constant tariff changes, and honestly, it's heartbreaking. I have one client who had set aside $1 million for growth projects this year for hiring and expansion plans. That money is gone now, absorbed by unexpected tariff costs on materials they've been importing for years. What I often think about are the small businesses who can't afford to hire someone like me to help them navigate these changes. They're trying to figure out these constantly shifting rules on their own, and it's nearly impossible. The uncertainty is killing small businesses because you can't run a business when the rules keep changing and you don't have the resources to keep up. This is going to deter people from even starting small businesses, and that should worry all of us."

Nunzio DeFilippis
Co-CEO of CargoTrans
Manhasset, New York

To schedule an interview with a representative from Small Business for America's Future, contact Janel Knight Trulear at janel@emccommunications.com or (617) 875-6581.

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About Small Business for America's Future
Small Business for America's Future is a national coalition of small business owners and leaders advocating for policy solutions that promote a thriving, inclusive economy. We work to ensure that lawmakers prioritize the needs of Main Street, advancing a just and equitable economic framework for small business owners, their employees, and their communities. For more information, visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org.