The Great Business Wrecker: More Tariff Trauma

The scramble is real. Retailers and E-tailers are caught up in an uncertain cycle of ever-changing tariffs that are disrupting consumerism and the US economy as a whole. As businesses hoped to see some sort of definitive move on the part of US leaders, there is no end in sight, and the ability to secure inventory is about as bad as it gets.

An initial tariff baseline of 10 percent, established in April of 2025, has gone by the wayside, with political sniping contributing to incoming and outgoing tariff rates, and shipments virtually stopped at ports based on the new rate of tariff collection.

Merchants ordering inventory from China, for example, are facing an additional 100 percent in tariffs, an unthinkable environment for planning and even selling.

With all that at play, how is an ecommerce vendor supposed to shoulder the upcoming holiday season? The answer is, no one knows.

Months after this quagmire was initiated, most high- or mid-level volume merchants have had a taste of the whirlwind attempts at refining product mixes, securing reliable vendors, and revamping sales strategies that may salvage a modicum of stability. Online craft-based vendor Etsy reports small-value shipments now triggering large flat fees for shipments through USPS. Adjustments to product acquisition now include bundling through private carries such as UPS, but even those generate an uncertain fate.

That all sellers are hit equally might partially provide comfort, but the brutal truth is that commerce businesses of all types are in for a devastating time. Few avenues offer relief, with the exception of securing US-made goods only. Most daunting is the reality that internet searches for alternative buying sources are geared toward non-Americans searching for ways to avoid US tariffs – and even to avoid folding in US commerce all the way around.

If this trend continues, you can expect a seismic shift in economic optimism, and perhaps retooling your approach to succeeding as an ecommerce merchant. Certainly players in this industry will develop solutions.

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash