Legislation Would Provide Relief for the More Than 900,000 Michigan Small Businesses Struggling to Keep Up with Rising Costs, Economic Uncertainty Caused by Trump’s Tariffs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) cosponsored the Small Business RELIEF Act to exempt small businesses in Michigan and across the country from President Trump’s global baseline reciprocal tariffs and provide refunds to the small businesses that were forced to pay them. Small businesses make up 99.6 percent of all businesses in Michigan and employ nearly 50 percent of our state’s workforce. This legislation would protect more than 900,000 Michigan small businesses that are already having to make devastating choices to keep their business afloat, such as cutting jobs, canceling expansion plans, and absorbing input costs.
“Small businesses are the backbone of Michigan’s economy,” said Senator Peters. “This legislation would help protect the more than 900,000 small businesses across the state who are already struggling to keep up with rising costs caused by this administration’s chaotic, backwards tariff policy.”
On August 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that President Trump’s “emergency” tariffs were illegal, setting the stage for small businesses to receive relief for the crushing losses that the duties have caused. The Supreme Court then announced it will hear the case in November to consider the legality of these tariffs. However, the tariffs will remain in place until the Supreme Court’s decision is handed down.
The retroactive relief provided by the Small Business RELIEF Act aims to provide a lifeline that many small businesses and small importers desperately need to recover from months of economic uncertainty, unexpected costs, and lost revenue.
Peters has repeatedly spoken out against the Trump Administration’s chaotic tariff policy. Peters took to the Senate floor in April to oppose the President’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” calling them a “national sales tax” on hardworking Americans. Earlier this year, Peters also sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding that he immediately work with the President to reverse the tariffs. Peters visited Walker Tool & Die in Grand Rapids in May to discuss the impact of President Trump’s tariffs and hear directly from manufacturers and workers in the region about how Michigan companies are navigating the current tariff policies.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
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