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Posted: Thu 3rd Apr 2025
Donald Trump has announced 10% tariffs on imports from the UK to the US. We're getting the reaction of small business owners and Enterprise Nation members.
We're keeping this page regularly updated. If you're an Enterprise Nation member and you'd like to share your views, email Dan.
Katie Owen, founder of Sargasso & Grey:
"We ship from the UK but the shoes are made in Spain so the tariffs will be 20% which will be levied on the consumer. Prior to this there was an $800 tax free threshold. We can only assume this threshold has been removed, although nothing is clear.
"Even if we swallow the cost of the duties with discount codes, customers will still have to pay them before they receive the shoes and the duties are non-refundable. The US currently accounts for 15-20% of our annual revenue but we had big growth plans."
Michael Peel, production manager at MattressTek:
"Whilst we're disappointed, we're glad the tariffs imposed aren't as bad as initially thought or expected. We are in regular contact with our customers and suppliers who support our export operations to the US and hope to use this to our advantage. We're also in talks with new prospective customers there and hope these will positively progress too.
"We manufacture automation machinery for the processing and manufacturing of mattresses, beds and components, as well as other sectors such as packaging etc. We have won awards for our international trade, export and innovation."
Gareth Austin-Jones, co-founder of Cocorose London:
"We work with long standing production partners in Portugal and China, and we export all over the world including the USA.
"However, our sales into the USA are significantly weighted towards e-commerce, direct to consumer. As far as US sales is concerned, we are still looking for clarification on whether the de-miniumus value will be impacted. The value was $800, so footwear orders under this value would be excluded from duties.
"If it's lowered to zero, we will consider delivery duty paid terms for our US customers for a while. Even if there are no additional costs for our customers to pay, their confidence to buy from European businesses will hit.
"We are also concerned about the business our product partners have with the US. Could it mean significant losses for them, impacting their business stability or the need to pass costs on to other clients? On the flip side, their desire to do more business with European clients could work to our advantage."
Chinelo Awa, founder of Good Cake Day:
"I'm concerned about the potential impact tariffs might have on Good Cake Day, particularly regarding our signature Cosy Bea Brownie.
"The brownie's toasted pecans, which are primarily imported from the US, could face significant price increases if tariffs are implemented by the UK on the US. This would directly affect our production costs and potentially force us to either absorb the higher expenses, reducing our profit margins, or pass these costs on to our customers, which might impact sales.
"As a luxury brand that prides itself on quality ingredients, compromising on our pecans isn't an option. We need to develop contingency plans while monitoring the evolving trade situation."
Martha Keith, founder of Martha Brook and Business Secrets Club:
"In my stationery business Martha Brook, we manufacture in the UK with 15% of our sales going to the US so the tariffs will undoubtedly affect us as the US market is currently one of the biggest growth areas of our business.
"One thing that's currently unclear is how much this will affect direct-to-consumer orders as well as exports. There's currently a 'de minimis' threshold of $800, under which businesses don't need to pay any import tariffs. Trump is removing this for China as a trial, and the concern is that he'll expand this.
"Even if he doesn't, the confusion around this could affect consumer confidence of Americans ordering from overseas. On Etsy, for example, 40% of our sales are from the US, so it's a hugely important area of our business."
If you're an Enterprise Nation member and you'd like to share your views, email Dan.
