On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti | Podcast How Trump's tariffs are squeezing small businesses
Oct 7, 2025
Katrina Golden, CEO of Lil Mama's Sweets and Treats, shares her experience running a bakery affected by rising supply costs due to tariffs. She highlights how the increased prices for ingredients and supplies are squeezing margins, potentially forcing her to raise prices or close by 2026. Dilawar Syed, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, discusses how 97% of importers are small businesses, emphasizing that tariffs disproportionately impact them. Both guests call for more predictable trade policies to ensure small businesses can thrive.
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Bakery Owner Faces Tariff-Driven Crisis
- Katrina Golden founded Little Mama's Sweets and Treats after retiring and now runs a bakery and coffee shop inside the VA Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.
- She reports steep supply cost increases and may raise prices or close by early 2026 if relief doesn't arrive.
Push For Predictable Trade And Relief
- Katrina Golden urged predictable trade policy so small businesses can plan and invest.
- She recommended Congress pass the Small Business Relief Act to exempt small firms from harmful tariffs.
Tariffs Disproportionately Hurt Small Firms
- Dilawar Syed notes 97% of U.S. importers are small businesses, making tariffs primarily a small-business issue.
- Small firms employ about half the U.S. workforce and rely heavily on imports for operations.