WASHINGTON — Small business owners are sounding the alarm over the financial strain caused by tariffs on imported goods , as Senate Democrats push legislation aimed at easing the burden. Amid rising costs and economic uncertainty, some entrepreneurs say they’re being forced to cut salaries, scale back production, and reconsider their future.

Michael Negron, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), said new calculations show nearly 240,000 small businesses that rely on imports paid an average of $90,000 more in tariffs between May and July of this year. He warned that while businesses have tried to shield consumers from the full impact, the pressure is mounting.

“Businesses are still absorbing more than half of the impact of those tariffs,” Negron said. “But the long

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