MARCH 9, 2025.
How tariffs are impacting us as a small American business. Transparency on our ownership for boycotts. A message to our neighbors and friends in Canada. We intend to keep this post up-to-date as the situation unfolds.
Table of Contents
How Tariffs Will Impact Walnut Studiolo
Why are we writing about this? Three reasons:
1. US Tariffs Increase Our Material Costs (And Thus, Prices)
Even though we prioritize US sourcing, the supply chain worldwide is too globalized to be 100%. Tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico mean our material costs are going up. In particular, some of our metal hardware components, such as magnets and buckles, which are made abroad.
We price our products based on the cost to produce them: when material costs go up, our prices will have to go up too. Although we expect to re-assess soon, we haven’t raised our prices yet. We’re still working with material inventory that we purchased last year.
Read an interview with Valerie in The Verge by reporter Mia Sato: Small businesses are already feeling Trump’s tariffs.
2. Retaliatory Tariffs Will Hurt Our Export Sales and Global Customers
History has shown that retaliatory tariffs are an inevitable and logical reaction to tariffs. There are no winners in a trade war. Retaliatory tariffs will increase the cost of some of Walnut Studiolo’s products to global customers.
Products are classed by HTS tariff codes, a global system of nomenclature that categorizes all of the world’s trade merchandise. Some of our products' HTS codes are currently subject to tariffs and some are not.
This table contains our products by HTS code, cross-referenced by the March 4, 2025 25% Canadian tariff list. If new tariffs are introduced by other major trading partners, we intend to add them to this table as well. See which items are tariffed >>>
3. Providing Transparent Ownership Information for Boycotters
Righteous global anger against America because of Trump, Musk, and Republican Party actions are inspiring boycotts of American products – including by Americans!
Some boycotts are for products from red states, some are only against the big businesses, and some are a blanket ban of all American products.
In full transparency for your decision-making: Walnut Studiolo is a private, family-owned American micro-business in a blue state (Oregon).
We do not support annexation of any country and continue to support Ukraine – ever since our fundraiser in 2022. We have the same ownership and hold the same values as ever, first documented here in 2017:
A Message to Our Canadian Neighbors
We consider our Canadian neighbors to the north our best friends: as a nation, a small business, and personally and literally our family and ancestors as well.
Canadians have always been our #2 supporters of Walnut. We have traveled there ourselves, experienced and enjoyed your unique culture.
We completely respect Canada’s strong and principled response to the American government. Annexation is not a joking matter and we understand you must protect your sovereignty. For individual Canadians, we also understand and respect your wishes not to shop with us as an American company.
Please stay in touch as this situation unfolds, as international friends and neighbors, people to people.
Last Words
We struggle daily with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness as a small family business caught in a whirlwind of epic, global, historical proportions, at a critical turning point in history for both people and planet. We expect there to be dire consequences for America and Americans but also worldwide.
Yet as our minds swirl (and then freeze!) with the enormity of the challenges facing us, somehow we still have to get through each day and put food on the table, keep our home, wash the dishes. And keep our principles.
Rest assured we have been telling our Senators and Representative about our concerns on this matter and many other issues: Senator Jeff Merkeley, Senator Ron Wyden, and Representative Suzanne Bonamici.
When we watch the speeches of great international leaders right now, we hear one thing in common. It is the hearts, minds, and connections made between peoples that is most important: international cooperation and friendship. From our home to yours, we respect and appreciate your business, past or future. Let’s stay in touch.
- Prime Minister Trudeau in his speech on tariffs this past week
President Zelensky’s words to the American people on Fox after that disastrously embarrassing Oval Office meeting
French Senator Claude Malhuret as he summarizes the situation for Europe eloquently
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