FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Former Georgia Senator and current Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler conceded that tariffs and higher fuel costs are creating head winds of small businesses in Georgia.
However, she insisted that it is just a short-term issue and that long-term gains are already in progress.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot spoke to small business owners who say they are not so sure.
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Premier Automation says the Trump Administration’s policies have helped them because more people are buying American-made products.
Loeffler visited the Forsyth County business to show off the facility and how the Trump Administration’s policies are helping it grow.
“This is a great example of what a small manufacturer is doing across America,” she said.
The company builds robotics systems for automation processes and says it has hired five more employees this year.
Loeffler says the so-named Big Beautiful Bill is allowing Premier Automation to reinvest money into the business rather than paying taxes.
She says other businesses, like Coosa Steel in Rome, are seeing similar benefits.
“That’s why we’re seeing this job creation: over 170,000 new jobs reported last month. We’ve got rising consumer confidence, rising retail sales, three months in a row of manufacturing output expanding," Loeffler said.
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But other businesses say the tariffs are hurting their bottom line.
“It kind of hits your bottom line immediately, and it’s basically a tax,” said business owner Travis Reid.
Reid owns a Norcross business that turns children’s artwork into fundraising merchandise. He says the tariffs have not been short-term pain, but rather a long-term drain on his company’s bottom line.
“When I directly import some of our goods from China, India, there’s been a tax that’s increased, which is averaging probably around 20%, as high, you know, last year, it was as high as 50% on some goods," Reid said.
Premier said that too have seen some of the effects when importing metals like copper, but they have been able to effectively manage the costs.
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