Business

$25,000 per month: the cost of Trump tariffs on small business importers, revealed

Published

3 hours ago

December 29, 2025

A stark new economic analysis reveals the Trump administration’s trade policies are extracting a heavy toll from Main Street, with small-business importers paying approximately $25,000 more per month in tariff costs since April 2025. The report, published Dec. 17 by the Center for American Progress (CAP), a left-wing think tank, details how a “chaotic approach” to trade and the elimination of key import exceptions have created a financial crisis for entrepreneurs during the critical holiday season.

According to the analysis by Michael Negron and Mimla Wardak, the administration’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement triggered a sharp increase in duties collected from American businesses. From April through September 2025, CAP estimated, the roughly 236,000 small-business importers in the U.S. paid an average of more than $151,000 in additional tariffs compared to the same period in 2024. (CAP cited the centrist Chamber of Commerce’s research on the small-business importer sector of the economy.)

“The Trump administration’s broad, costly, and frequently shifting policies threaten to undermine one of the strongest engines of the American economy,” Negron said in a statement to Fortune. “A season of opportunity for small businesses has turned into one of uncertainty.”

The burden is not limited to larger enterprises. The report found “mom-and-pop” businesses—those with fewer than 50 employees—paid, on average, over $86,000 more per business during this six-month window than they did the previous year. The outlook for the immediate future is equally grim: CAP projects that if current monthly costs persist, the typical small business will face a tariff bill exceeding $500,000 in 2026, potentially resulting in additional layoffs, bankruptcies, and delayed investments. For the holidays, CAP concludes the tariffs are a “costly lump of coal” in American small business’ collective, proverbial Christmas stocking.

Administrative red tape stifles growth

Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape. The administration eliminated the de minimis exception, which previously allowed low-value shipments to enter the U.S. without duties or extensive paperwork. This policy change has forced businesses to prepay new tariff rates and complete complex customs forms for millions of shipments that were formerly exempt.

Jyoti Jaiswal, founder of OMSutra, a small business selling sustainable fashion and home goods, told CAP the changes have forced her to consolidate shipments and block more capital upfront. Jaiswal noted her company now spends 10 to 15 hours on tariff-related administrative work per shipment, up from eight to 10 hours previously, preventing her from passing costs on to consumers without losing competitiveness.

Similarly, Legrand Lindor, CEO of LMI Textiles, told CAP his medical supply company went from spending zero time on tariff paperwork to spending four to five hours per transaction. Facing a 20% increase in product costs—roughly $80,000 in additional spending—Lindor was forced to scrap plans to open a new warehouse in 2025.

The rising costs appear to be cooling the labor market for small firms. Data from payroll provider ADP shows that businesses with fewer than 50 employees laid off 120,000 workers in November 2025, the highest number of small-business layoffs in five years.

While the administration claimed foreign nations would pay these costs, the report emphasizes tariffs are taxes paid by American importers. Goldman Sachs calculated that of August 2025, businesses had absorbed 51% of the cost of tariffs, though they had passed 37% onto consumers through higher prices. A survey by Small Business Majority from late 2025 indicated 74% of small-business owners are now worried about their business surviving the next 12 months.

Compounding financial pressures

The tariff crisis coincides with other financial headwinds. The report highlights the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits in 2026 threatens to double premiums for millions of entrepreneurs and small-business employees.

With the holiday season typically accounting for at least one-quarter of annual revenue for retailers, the convergence of high tariffs and administrative confusion has delivered what the report describes as “a decidedly unhappy holiday season” for the nation’s 236,000 small-business importers. Without a change in policy, these businesses face the prospect of escalating costs and reduced investment heading into the new year.

For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Silicon Valley summit offers rare insight into humanoid robots—and China is the clear winner

Published

13 minutes ago

December 29, 2025

Jace Porter

Robots have long been seen as a bad bet for Silicon Valley investors — too complicated, capital-intensive and “boring, honestly,” says venture capitalist Modar Alaoui.

But the commercial boom in artificial intelligence has lit a spark under long-simmering visions to build humanoid robots that can move their mechanical bodies like humans and do things that people do.

Alaoui, founder of the Humanoids Summit, gathered more than 2,000 people this week, including top robotics engineers from Disney, Google and dozens of startups, to showcase their technology and debate what it will take to accelerate a nascent industry.

Alaoui says many researchers now believe humanoids or some other kind of physical embodiment of AI are “going to become the norm.”

“The question is really just how long it will take,” he said.

Disney’s contribution to the field, a walking robotic version of “Frozen” character Olaf, will be roaming on its own through Disneyland theme parks in Hong Kong and Paris early next year. Entertaining and highly complex robots that resemble a human — or a snowman — are already here, but the timeline for “general purpose” robots that are a productive member of a workplace or household is farther away.

Even at a conference designed to build enthusiasm for the technology, held at a Computer History Museum that’s a temple to Silicon Valley’s previous breakthroughs, skepticism remained high that truly humanlike robots will take root anytime soon.

“The humanoid space has a very, very big hill to climb,” said Cosima du Pasquier, co-founder of Haptica Robotics, which works to give robots a sense of touch. “There’s a lot of research that still needs to be solved.”

The Stanford University postdoctoral researcher came to the conference in Mountain View, California, just a week after incorporating her startup.

“The first customers are really the people here,” she said.

Researchers at the consultancy McKinsey & Company have counted about 50 companies around the world that have raised at least $100 million to develop humanoids, led by about 20 in China and 15 in North America.

China is leading in part due to government incentives for component production and robot adoption and a mandate last year “to have a humanoid ecosystem established by 2025,” said McKinsey partner Ani Kelkar. Displays by Chinese firms dominated the expo section of this week’s summit, held Thursday and Friday. The conference’s most prevalent humanoids were those made by China’s Unitree, in part because researchers in the U.S. buy the relatively cheap model to test their own software.

In the U.S., the advent of generative AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini has jolted the decades-old robotics industry in different ways. Investor excitement has poured money into ambitious startups aiming to build hardware that will bring a physical presence to the latest AI.

But it’s not just crossover hype — the same technical advances that made AI chatbots so good at language have played a role in teaching robots how to get better at performing tasks. Paired with computer vision, robots powered by “visual-language” models are trained to learn about their surroundings.

One of the most prominent skeptics is robotics pioneer Rodney Brooks, a co-founder of Roomba vacuum maker iRobot who wrote in September that “today’s humanoid robots will not learn how to be dexterous despite the hundreds of millions, or perhaps many billions of dollars, being donated by VCs and major tech companies to pay for their training.” Brooks didn’t attend but his essay was frequently mentioned.

Also missing was anyone speaking for Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s development of a humanoid called Optimus, a project that the billionaire is designing to be “extremely capable” and sold in high volumes. Musk said three years ago that people can probably buy an Optimus “within three to five years.”

The conference’s organizer, Alaoui, founder and general partner of ALM Ventures, previously worked on driver attention systems for the automotive industry and sees parallels between humanoids and the early years of self-driving cars.

Near the entrance to the summit venue, just blocks from Google’s headquarters, is a museum exhibit showing Google’s bubble-shaped 2014 prototype of a self-driving car. Eleven years later, robotaxis operated by Google affiliate Waymo are constantly plying the streets nearby.

Some robots with human elements are already being tested in workplaces. Oregon-based Agility Robotics announced shortly before the conference that it is bringing its tote-carrying warehouse robot Digit to a Texas distribution facility run by Mercado Libre, the Latin American e-commerce giant. Much like the Olaf robot, it has inverted legs that are more birdlike than human.

Industrial robots performing single tasks are already commonplace in car assembly and other manufacturing. They work with a level of speed and precision that’s difficult for today’s humanoids — or humans themselves — to match.

The head of a robotics trade group founded in 1974 is now lobbying the U.S. government to develop a stronger national strategy to advance the development of homegrown robots, be they humanoids or otherwise.

“We have a lot of strong technology, we have the AI expertise here in the U.S.,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, after touring the expo. “So I think it remains to be seen who is the ultimate leader in this. But right now, China has certainly a lot more momentum on humanoids.”

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Business

How to win your money resolutions in 2026: From emergency funds to savings goals

Published

45 minutes ago

December 29, 2025

Jace Porter

The start of a new year usually brings new motivation to achieve goals like eating healthier or finally cleaning your basement. Many resolutions also focus on financial goals, such as paying off credit card debt, saving for a new house, or simply getting more educated about money.

“New Year’s is a really good time to review and realign your financial goals overall,” said Erica Grundza, certified financial planner at Betterment, an investing and savings app.

When building your goals for 2026, Grundza recommends focusing less on the past and more on an optimistic, yet realistic, vision for the future. She recommends that you focus on reestablishing the “why” behind your approach to money and how you want to make it work for your life. This can be as simple as saving $10 each week in a savings account, or a bigger goal like saving to buy a house in the coming years. It’s all about your own journey.

The Associated Press spoke with people who are making financial resolutions for 2026. Here’s a look at what they’re planning and how you can draw inspiration for your own resolutions:

Making achievable plans

Resolutions can easily turn into unattainable goals that feel more like a dream, said MarieYolaine Toms, a coach and founder of Focused Fire, a financial coaching company. To avoid setting unrealistic expectations, Toms follows a “no resolutions” mindset and instead focuses on making an actionable plan.

“What I say every year is that I am not making resolutions, I’m making plans that can be tracked forward, traced back, and tweaked until completion,” Toms said.

Recently, Toms encouraged her clients to check their credit report with the three credit bureaus and, based on their credit reports, make an attainable plan to start a savings account. For example, adding $25 to their savings account every week.

Whether you’re trying to pay off debt or save for a vacation abroad, the first step towards making a plan can be creating a budget. When making a budget, it’s best to find a technique that works for you, whether it’s the classic 50/30/20 plan or another budgeting style.

If you’re building a budget for the first time, you can find some expert recommendations here.

Paying off debt

After losing her job as a magazine editor in September, Rachel Pelovitz, 33, had to take a closer look at her finances. Having acquired a significant amount of debt over the last few years due to her husband’s year-and-a-half-long unemployment, Pelovitz explored several options to pay it off. Ultimately, Pelovitz and her husband chose to sell their house and work with a debt consolidation organization.

“Rather than rely on getting more debt, we are currently selling our house,” Pelovitz said.

Pelovitz’s main goal for 2026 is to pay off half of her credit card debt. And, with some of the money from selling the house, start investing moderately.

If you’ve also experienced a layoff, you can read expert recommendations to help you take care of your finances and your mental health here.

Building a savings account

For Jenni Lee, 27, this is going to be the year when she gets strict about building her savings account. While Lee considers herself generally good with money, over the last six months she has overspent and wants to rein it in. The long-term goal for her savings journey is for Lee to buy a house.

“I’m now in my late 20s, I’m starting to really think about where I pinch now so it won’t hurt later when I finally decide to purchase and own a place,” said Lee, a tech worker and lifestyle TikTok creator based in Chicago.

As she saves for her future home and possibly a trip to South Korea, Lee wants to cut unnecessary spending on clothing items and eating out.

Social media microtrends are a common influence on people’s shopping decisions, and this can lead to overspending. If you’re looking to avoid spending money on microtrends, you can find experts’ recommendations here.

Building an emergency fund

If you are in a position to do so, having multiple financial goals you’re working towards at the same time can be a great way to speed up your progress. For Worcester resident Melanie Duarte, 23, her New Year’s money goals include paying off her student loans and credit card debt while building an emergency fund.

“I made sure to include it in my budget, even if it’s something as small as like $50. I just want to make sure I still put something in (my emergency fund) so that it eventually multiplies,” said Duarte, who owns a marketing agency.

Duarte’s family didn’t speak openly about finances when she was growing up. But, since she opened her own business, Duarte has been slowly working on rewriting her relationship with money.

If you’re looking to start an emergency fund or create better habits while you save, you can read some experts’ recommendations here.

Finding balance

Finding a balance between saving for your long-term goals while also making sure you enjoy your money is important, but it can also be challenging. After the death of her grandfather just a few years after retirement, Tiana Stewart, 26, felt that he didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. So, this past year, Stewart decided to enjoy her life and travel.

“I do understand saving for retirement is important, but I also want to enjoy my life and the money that I work for at this time, especially being in my 20s,” said Stewart, who lives in Maryland.

But now, as she reflects on her financial future, Stewart wants to focus on paying off debt, saving, and investing. Having a healthy balance between enjoying life and saving for the future is what she wants to work toward.

For some, participating in budgeting challenges such as the no-buy yearcan be a great way to set boundaries on your spending and set aside money towards your financial goals. Many people start such challenges at the beginning of the year and commit to keep going until the end, but others start with a no-buy month.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Business

Gen Z can skip college, and still earn big: Here are the top 15 highest-paying jobs that don’t require a degree

Published

2 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Jace Porter

Gen Z has been taking a harder look at the American Dream of pursuing a four-year degree as tuition costs have skyrocketed and AI takes over white-collar jobs. Luckily, they have an out—there are many careers that don’t require a bachelor’s and still pay six-figure salaries.

The top high-wage job that doesn’t require a four-year degree and shows strong job growth may be unexpected: elevator and escalator installers and repairers. The role has a median annual salary of $106,580, only requiring a high school diploma, apprenticeship completion, and a state certification, according to a new report from Resume Genius analyzing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The study placed transportation, storage, and distribution managers in second; by pursuing an entry-level role in logistics, new hires can put themselves on track to earn $102,010 per year. Flight attendants, chefs, athletes, and criminal investigators also made the list.

Young people have been told that going to college is necessary for success, but Gen Zers wanting to skip costly degrees don’t have to sacrifice their careers. The report shows they have a litany of choices, from six-figure blue collar jobs to cushy office roles.

Resume Genius career expert Eva Chan told CNBC that “there’s no one way to get a high-paying job,” adding that all the ranked roles “have some degree of training, some have schooling, but they’re all very attainable without a degree.”

The top 15 high-paying jobs that don’t require four-year degrees

The top 15 highest-paying jobs that earn above the U.S. median, have positive projected job growth, and don’t require a four-year degree to apply, according to Resume Genius.

Elevator and escalator installer and repairer (Median annual salary: $106,580)
Transportation, storage, and distribution manager (Median annual salary: $102,010)
Electrical power-line installer and repairer (Median annual salary: $92,560)
Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanic and technician (Median annual salary: $79,140)
Detective and criminal investigator (Median annual salary: $77,270)
Locomotive engineer (Median annual salary: $75,680)
Wholesale and manufacturing sales representative (Median annual salary: $74,100)
Flight attendant (Median annual salary: $67,130)
Property, real estate, and community association manager (Median annual salary: $66,700)
Water transportation worker (Median annual salary: $66,490)
Food service manager (Median annual salary: $65,310)
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technician (Median annual salary: $62,740)
Athlete and sports competitor (Median annual salary: $62,360)
Chef and head cook (Median annual salary: $60,990)
Insurance sales agent (Median annual salary: $60,370)

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