Here's what tariffs have cost our small business

Running a small business requires confidence in decisions that will not pay off for months. We decide what to import before we know exactly how consumers will respond. We commit cash before inventory is sold. We build relationships based on the belief that the rules of doing business will be reasonably stable.

That stability is disappearing.

At Athenee Importers, based in Hempstead, we import alcoholic beverages for customers who value quality, authenticity and choice. Since February 2025, our company has paid about $250,000 in new tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump.

For a small business, that is not just a tax bill. It is a decision-maker.

Tariffs forced us to raise prices, reduce inventory and the amount we're importing, and delay expansion plans. Those were not choices made because demand disappeared or because we lost faith in the business. They were made because uncertainty has become too expensive to ignore.

Importers pay tariffs when goods arrive, before the products are sold. That means we must keep more cash available to cover the tariff payment.

We postponed hiring a full-time employee because of those costs. After receiving approximately $165,000 in refunds for tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled Trump's tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal, we moved forward with the hire. The refund is now helping cover that employee’s salary, benefits and related expenses.

That is a positive outcome, but it does not mean the tariff burden has ended.

Since February of this year, we have incurred another $80,000 in tariffs, not including products currently in transit. We are still paying tariffs on every shipment under new tariffs adopted after the Supreme Court's ruling, the most recent of which took effect in late July.

We have raised prices by an average of 15% to cover the tariffs and account for a weaker U.S. dollar. (For example, a bottle once sold to a distributor for $10 may now cost $13, raising its retail price from $22 to $25.) That increase was not optional. But customers have limits. They are not always willing or able to pay a higher price caused by tariffs.

That changes what we import. If a product becomes too expensive for the market, we think twice before bringing it in. If we are uncertain whether tariffs will rise again, we become even more cautious. We import fewer items, reduce volumes — and narrow choices for customers. This is how tariff uncertainty shapes current decisions. It is not only the tariffs already paid. It is the question hanging over every purchase order: What will the cost be when the shipment arrives?

For a small importer, that question is dangerous. We cannot always change suppliers overnight. We cannot easily replace long-standing relationships or duplicate distinctive products somewhere else.

But my biggest concern is whether future tariffs will raise costs again. If new tariffs are imposed, or if temporary measures are replaced with longer-term ones, small businesses will be forced to make defensive decisions.

At Athenee Importers, we are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for a business environment where we can make decisions based on our customers, demand and long-term growth, rather than fear of the next tariff announcement.

Tariffs have already cost us money. The uncertainty surrounding future tariffs is now eroding our confidence. For a small business, that may be the most damaging cost of all.

This guest essay reflects the views of Andrea Englisis, the president of Athenee Importers in Hempstead, the largest importer and distributor of fine wine, spirits and beer from Greece and Cyprus in the United States.