News Summary
Nichole MacDonald, CEO of The Sash Bag, addresses the financial burden of tariffs on small businesses at a press conference. She advocates for the Small Business RELIEF Act to exempt small businesses from tariffs and refund previous payments. MacDonald highlights the challenges faced by small business owners due to increased import duties and seeks legislative action to ensure their sustainability amid economic pressures.
Washington, D.C. – Nichole MacDonald, a Sonora native and the founder and CEO of the Sash Bag, addressed a press conference on September 17, 2025, advocating for legislative measures to exempt small businesses from President Trump’s tariffs and to refund tariffs already paid. The event, which included Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), supports the proposed Small Business RELIEF Act.
The press conference featured a map illustrating the financial toll of tariffs on U.S. small businesses, emphasizing the alarming impact since March 2025. MacDonald has operated her business for 13 years and is experiencing financial strain due to these tariffs, calling into question the sustainability of her enterprise. She has been faced with a difficult choice: either abandon her business or confront the adverse effects of the tariffs.
The Sash Bag, established in 2012, is a hybrid purse inspired by MacDonald’s personal experiences. The company has sold over 300,000 units, generating more than $30 million in sales, largely due to rising sales growth in the last four years, despite competition from larger fashion brands. However, the recently increased tariffs have dramatically raised her import duty from 9% to 59%. This change means she now needs to secure an additional $370,000 for $750,000 worth of inventory currently stranded overseas.
The impact of these tariffs has severely affected MacDonald’s profit margin. Forced to seek loans to manage costs, she has laid off seven of her twelve employees over the past year. The financial burden of the tariffs could fund five full-time salaries along with their benefits. MacDonald has also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of tariffs in bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., highlighting the challenges of establishing a suitable infrastructure for making her products domestically.
Even if production were shifted to the U.S., MacDonald noted that reliance on imported materials would still subject her to additional duties. The press conference was part of her advocacy work as president of the California chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, where MacDonald emphasized the importance of small businesses in the economy. Small businesses make up a significant portion of the economy and employ a considerable part of the workforce.
MacDonald raised concerns that ongoing tariffs may jeopardize the survival of many small businesses, including her own. She plans to persist in advocating for small business interests and has cultivated an interest in public service. By doing so, she hopes to aid her fellow business owners facing similar difficulties.
The Small Business RELIEF Act, which MacDonald and the senators are promoting, seeks to alleviate the financial burden on small businesses that have been negatively affected by tariffs. If passed, this legislation would exempt small businesses from the financial strain imposed by these tariffs and provide refunds for previous payments made.
As the press conference concluded, it became clear that MacDonald’s efforts reflect a growing movement among small business owners who are calling for immediate legislative action to ensure their sustainability amidst ongoing economic challenges. The collective voice of advocates like MacDonald underscores the critical role small businesses play in driving economic growth and providing employment opportunities across the country.
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Additional Resources
- Union Democrat: Small Business Advocates Press for Tariff Relief
- Wikipedia: Tariffs
- Union Democrat: Nichole MacDonald Addresses Tariff Issues
- Google Search: Small Business RELIEF Act
- Union Democrat: Press Conference on Tariffs
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Small Business
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