5 @ 5 @ 5 – Small Business Fights Tariffs & Taxes

✍️ George Moen, Founder-Publisher | WBN Global News | April 29, 2025

Tariffs, taxes, labor reforms, and shifting trade alliances dominate today’s headlines, leaving small businesses worldwide scrambling to adjust, survive, and innovate under pressure.

⚡ At A Glance – Top 5 Headlines Impacting Small Business

Canada: Digital Services Tax Hits Small Advertisers
United States: Small Businesses Struggle Amid Rising Tariffs
United States: Small Business Owners Rally for Tax and Tort Reform
International: Global Tariffs Threaten SME Survival
International: UK’s New Employment Rights Bill Impacts SME Hiring

🇨🇦 Canada

1. Small Businesses Prioritize Economy in Federal Election

Source: BNN Bloomberg | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: With inflation, interest rates, and taxation policies front and center, small business owners demand concrete plans from candidates. Election outcomes could reshape lending programs, tax rates, and growth incentives.

2. Canadian Apparel Maker Shifts Focus to Europe Amid Trade Uncertainty

Source: Business Insider | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: SMEs like Anian are pausing U.S. expansion in favor of more stable European markets, showing how small exporters are recalibrating to avoid volatile North American trade policies.

3. Tesla Raises Prices in Canada to Avoid Tariff Fallout

Source: BNN Bloomberg | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: Tesla’s pricing shift signals to auto resellers and EV service providers: Get inventory now or pay more later. Small importers and dealerships face immediate margin pressure.

4. SIAL Canada 2025 Opens, Showcasing Agri-Food Innovations

Source: Newswire.ca | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: The country’s largest agri-food expo presents a massive opportunity for small food producers and processors to forge partnerships, gain export visibility, and connect with global buyers.

5. Digital Services Tax Hits Small Advertisers

Source: Financial Post | April 14, 2025
Why It Matters: A new 3% tax on digital service revenues indirectly raises, straining the already thin margins of costs for Canadian small businesses that rely on platforms like Google and Meta for online marketing.

🇺🇸 United States

1. Small Businesses Struggle Amid Rising Tariffs

Source: U.S. News | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: Increased tariffs on Chinese goods are disrupting inventory, raising costs, delaying shipments, and straining the already thin margins of small importers and wholesalers.

2. Entrepreneurs Call for Tariff Relief

Source: Bloomberg News | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: Grassroots pressure is mounting on Washington to carve out exemptions or scale back tariffs on goods critical to small business operations and supply chains.

3. Main Street Business Sales Slow Down

Source: CoStar | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: The average sale time for small businesses has increased 15%, as potential buyers delay decisions due to tariff uncertainty. This cools the exit plans of aging entrepreneurs.

4. Small Business Owners Rally for Tax and Tort Reform

Source: NFIB | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: At Small Business Day in Washington, entrepreneurs pushed for simplified tax codes and legal reforms. Reducing overhead risk remains a top concern for mom-and-pop operators.

5. Asian Grocers Navigate Tariff Turbulence

Source: MPR News | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: Independent grocers face supply chain instability and price hikes, forcing changes in sourcing and pricing. These effects ripple out into neighborhoods that rely on ethnic food stores.

🌍 International

1. Global Tariffs Threaten SME Survival

Source: PYMNTS | April 28, 2025
Why It Matters: Rising tariffs are choking small exporters and driving up costs worldwide. Local firms in emerging markets are especially vulnerable without state support or capital buffers.

2. European Small Businesses Pivot Amid U.S. Tariffs

Source: The Guardian | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: SMEs across the EU are rerouting logistics and shifting customer focus to avoid new American import tariffs. Nimble operators with flexible supply chains will gain ground.

3. Supply Chain Disruptions Worsen for Global Small Firms

Source: The Guardian | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: Smaller manufacturers face rising freight costs and long lead times, which affect cash flow and customer satisfaction. Diversifying logistics is no longer optional—it’s survival.

4. UK’s New Employment Rights Bill Impacts SME Hiring

Source: Ivee Jobs | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: The UK’s updated labor law mandates wage transparency and flexible work rights. Small firms must overhaul hiring and HR practices or face penalties.

5. India's Industrial Output Growth Presents SME Opportunities

Source: The Economic Times | April 29, 2025
Why It Matters: A 3% rise in output indicates an expanding market for service and supply vendors. Small Indian firms in manufacturing and logistics are poised for growth.

👁 Watch List – Developing Stories To Keep An Eye On

🇨🇦 Canada

Connecting small businesses to newcomer talent (Conference Board of Canada)
CIBC expands global investment products for entrepreneurs (Newswire.ca)
E-commerce firms targeting Asia amid domestic saturation (MyTasker Blog)
Art conservation funding benefits heritage-related small enterprises (Bank of America)
Political transition as Carney returns stirs trade policy speculation (U.S. News)

🇺🇸 United States

Retail groups raise alarm over tariff-related supply spikes (NRF)
Financial stress indicators rise across U.S. small firms (Reuters)
Tariffs disrupt food supply chains in Portland (KGW News)
Sales stalling as tariffs dampen buyer confidence (CoStar)
Shifting trade rules push business owners to pause expansion plans (The Guardian)

🌍 International

India probes major e-commerce platforms affecting small sellers (Reuters)
HSBC warns of small business bad debt risks (The Guardian)
Singapore task force aims to protect firms from U.S. trade fallout (Straits Times)
Australia’s SMEs deploy cost-control strategies amid inflation (Small Business NSW)
Boycotts of U.S. products dampen sales for small exporters (Wikipedia)

✉️ George Moen – Publisher, WBN News
gmoen@wbnn.news

TAGS: #5@5 #Small Business News #Trade Policy #Digital Taxes #Supply Chain Disruption #Retail Tariffs #Labor Reform #WBN Global