Trump’s tariff rattles US importers; Woldenberg’s CEO calls it ‘end of days’

US businesses that rely heavily on Chinese manufacturing are reeling after former President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imports from China — raising them to an unprecedented 145% in retaliation for what he called unfair trade practices.
As reported by the Associated Press, the dramatic tariff hikes — rolled out unpredictably and at speed — have stunned American importers. Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, a Chicago-area educational toy company, said he planned for a 40% tariff hike but was blindsided when the rate jumped more than threefold.
Woldenberg’s company, which has made products in China for four decades, now faces an estimated $100 million tariff bill for 2025, up from $2.3 million last year. “Honest to God, no exaggeration: It feels like the end of days,” he told AP.
Trump’s tariff escalation follows years of rising tensions between the US and China and is part of his push to bring manufacturing back to American soil. However, industry leaders argue that US infrastructure and labour markets are not equipped to replace China’s manufacturing capacity overnight.
According to AP, China still dominates key consumer sectors — supplying 97% of America’s imported baby carriages, 96% of umbrellas, 95% of fireworks, and 90% of combs.
Businesses that built their supply chains around Chinese factories now face an uncertain future. “American consumers created China,” said Joe Jurken of the ABC Group, which helps US firms manage Asian supply chains. “They got addicted to cheap pricing.”
The tariffs are already having ripple effects:
MGA Entertainment, maker of L.O.L. and Bratz dolls, says the price of some toys could double by the holiday season. CEO Isaac Larian told AP the tariffs are forcing the company to cut orders and reduce Chinese sourcing from 65% to 40%.
The Edge Desk, a furniture startup, has scrapped production plans in China due to the tariffs and is now looking at Germany and Italy for manufacturing, despite higher costs.
Even US -based brands like Little Tikes are affected because they depend on components sourced from China, highlighting how deeply integrated global supply chains have become.
Trump has also signaled that other manufacturing hubs like India, Vietnam, and Cambodia could face similar tariffs after a 90-day grace period, further shaking global business confidence.
The Associated Press noted that the White House initially said tariffs on Chinese goods would be 125%, before correcting the figure to 145% — including a previously announced 20% levy aimed at pressuring China over the fentanyl crisis.
China responded by slapping its own 125% tariffs on US goods, effective Saturday.
The unpredictability of the policy rollout is as damaging as the tariffs themselves, business owners say. “There is so much uncertainty,” Larian told AP. “And no business can run on uncertainty.”
The economic toll could be significant. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that Trump’s tariffs could reduce US GDP growth by 1.1 percentage points in 2025. Inflation expectations are also climbing — the University of Michigan’s latest survey shows consumers now expect long-term inflation of 4.4%.
For Woldenberg, the impact is both financial and existential. His company’s 10,000 molds, installed in Chinese factories over decades, are not easily relocated. “It’s not like you just bring in a canvas bag, zip it up and walk out,” he said.
“There is no idle US manufacturing hub, full of skilled engineers, waiting to pick up this work,” Woldenberg told AP. “In an instant, snap of a finger, they’re kaput.”