Small businesses across the Finger Lakes and Central New York say rising costs are turning the holiday season into a financial grind.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand made that case this week in Syracuse, warning that new tariffs imposed by President Trump are driving up prices for everything from aluminum cans to basic supplies, hitting small businesses when margins are already tight.
Gillibrand said breweries, manufacturers, and family-run shops across upstate New York face higher costs and growing uncertainty as tariffs ripple through supply chains. “This holiday season, President Trump is hurting New Yorkers with anti-American tariffs that are raising costs and shutting down small businesses,” she said.
Rising costs hit close to home
For Finger Lakes and Central New York businesses, the issue goes beyond politics and straight to day-to-day survival.
Breweries, a major draw for the region’s tourism economy, rely heavily on aluminum, grains, and hops. Gillibrand pointed to rising aluminum prices that make canning more expensive for breweries across the state, including more than 400 operations in New York.
“Breweries like Talking Cursive are feeling the pressure from the president’s tariffs,” Gillibrand said. “Small businesses are a major economic driver in New York, employing almost half the state’s workforce.”
Talking Cursive Brewing Company, a woman- and veteran-owned brewery, says the impact adds up fast. “Tariffs are hitting small businesses and manufacturers like ours hard,” said co-owner Andrew Brooks. “Whether on aluminum, malts, or hops, tariffs are impacting us across the board, not only raising costs, but shrinking markets.”
A regional ripple effect
State and local leaders say the pain extends far beyond breweries.
State Sen. Rachel May said tariffs are squeezing small businesses already struggling with higher inventory costs. State Sen. Chris Ryan warned that rising prices put added pressure on entrepreneurs, workers, and consumers alike. Assemblyman William Magnarelli called small businesses the backbone of local communities and said they deserve relief.
Syracuse city auditor Alex Marion said tariffs are also driving up costs for city operations and worsening affordability challenges.
Gillibrand pointed to state data estimating that New Yorkers face an effective 21% tax on imported goods, costing households about $4,200 a year. She said small businesses suffer most because they operate on thin margins and lack flexibility to quickly change suppliers.
Push for relief
Gillibrand is urging the Trump administration to suspend the tariffs, arguing that relief would help prevent higher prices and product shortages during the holiday season. She has also backed legislation aimed at refunding duties paid by small businesses and ending what she calls a “tariff tax.”
For small businesses across the Finger Lakes and Central New York, the stakes feel immediate. “We’re just asking for a common-sense solution,” Brooks said. “Repeal these tariffs so small businesses like ours can keep brewing, keep manufacturing, and keep contributing to our communities.”
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