AmiSight 5/7: Tariffs Boost Some U.S. Small Businesses Despite Broader Disruptions
- Ami Kassar
- May 7
- 1 min read
While President Trump’s tariffs have widely been reported as disruptive to business operations, some small U.S. companies have seen a boost from the trade war.
For example, large construction projects that rely on finished steel are shifting away from Asian suppliers in favor of U.S. firms that source raw materials domestically. Ellwood Group, a Pennsylvania metals company, saw sales jump 35% from the fourth to the first quarter.
“Customers want to get ahead of the tariffs,” Ellwood chairman David Barensfeld told the Wall Street Journal. “They are diversifying, reshoring because they want to derisk foreign supply chains.”
Revenue has climbed nearly 40% this year at Big Time Advertising & Marketing, a St. Louis ad agency that serves dealers of new and used cars, as clients look for ways to appeal to potential buyers spooked by tariffs and an uncertain economy.
It remains to be seen whether this boost will be long-term as gains during the pandemic often proved short-lived, as customers resumed normal buying patterns as shipping lanes and the global economy reopened.
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