U.S. Chamber of Commerce Urges Tariff Exemptions for Small Businesses and Products Not Made in America

Letter to the Trump Administration
"Request for Immediate Action to Prevent a Recession"

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest business lobbying group in the United States, has requested the Donald Trump administration to automatically exempt all small business importers and all products that cannot be sourced in the U.S. from tariffs.

Reuters Yonhap News

On May 1 (local time), the Chamber of Commerce stated in a letter to the Trump administration, "The Chamber urges the administration to take immediate action to provide relief for America's small businesses and prevent a recession."

This letter, signed by Chamber of Commerce President Suzanne Clark, was sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamison Greer.

The Chamber expressed deep concern, stating, "Even if an agreement is reached in a matter of weeks or months, many small businesses will suffer irreparable damage."

The Chamber requested the establishment of a fast-track process to exempt tariffs if it can be demonstrated that small businesses would suffer significant harm to U.S. employment. It also recommended that products not produced or easily sourced in the United States be automatically excluded from tariffs.

President Clark stated, "The reality is that some products, whether it's coffee, bananas, cocoa, minerals, or countless others, simply cannot be produced in the United States," adding, "Raising prices on these products only harms households struggling to pay their living expenses."

The White House, in response, stated that it would support small businesses not through tariff exemptions but in the form of large-scale tax cuts.

Steven Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, mentioned during a briefing that the Republican Party is pushing for a large-scale tax cut bill, saying, "Relief for small businesses will be provided in the form of the largest tax cut in American history," and that companies investing in the United States will not face any headaches or liabilities due to tariffs.

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