Ranking Member Markey delivers remarks at Henry Bear's Park Toy Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

(Boston, May 16) - Today, Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) hosted a press conference at Henry Bear’s Park Toy Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts to denounce the harm of Trump’s tariff games on local toy stores and the uncertainty that is paralyzing small businesses. Ranking Member Markey was joined by Kas Sharma, owner of Henry Bear’s Park Toy Store, and Meghann Ellis, Chief Financial Officer of Schylling Inc, a toy company based in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Recently, during National Small Business Week, Ranking Member Markey introduced the Small Business Liberation Act, legislation that would exempt small businesses from the broad, global tariffs imposed as a result of the national emergency declared on April 2 by President Trump. The legislation would exempt small businesses from the 10 percent universal tariff currently in effect and give more than 34 million U.S. small businesses needed certainty and relief that Trump’s overly broad, reckless tariffs will not return in less than 90 days.

“Rather than defending playtime, local toy stores are having to defend their bottom lines. Donald Trump’s reckless tariff policies are putting small businesses in neighborhoods across America in jeopardy,” said Ranking Member Markey. “The Trump administration must stop toying with our economy and give small businesses the certainty for the future that they deserve. My Small Business Liberation Act would exempt small businesses from Trump’s overly broad tariffs and lift the cloud of uncertainty they are facing every day. We must stop Trump from playing any more games with our small businesses.” 

“We’re toy experts, not trade experts – but we feel the ripple effects of global shifts every day,” said Kas Sharma, owner of Henry Bear’s Park Toy Store. “For an independent business like ours, any change in the global supply environment can be a huge challenge. Sudden increases in tariffs affect all aspects of our operations and what we can offer to our customers – it impacts pricing, product availability and selection, and our decisions related to investment and growth. Small businesses matter and the ripple effects of national policy decisions often land hardest on those trying to make an honest living at the local level. We’re incredibly grateful for the attention and time Senator Markey is giving to this issue — and for recognizing the important role small businesses play in keeping local communities strong, vibrant, and connected.”

“Keeping tariffs on small and medium sized business will inevitably drive them out of business. This will open the door for non-U.S. companies to sell low-cost, low-quality toys that do not meet the safety standards that U.S. toy manufacturers adhere to, making the toys that do enter the country not as safe for our children,” said Meghann Ellis, Chief Financial Officer of Schylling Inc. “That’s why Senator Markey’s leadership on this issue is so important. His advocacy to exempt small businesses from these harmful tariffs is critical—not just for companies like Schylling, but for thousands of small businesses across the country that are facing the same struggle.”

Ranking Member Markey recently wrote to Small Business Administrator Loeffler, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, calling on the Trump administration to exempt U.S. small businesses from Trump’s reckless tariffs, and afford small businesses the same relief the Administration is giving billion-dollar tech giants such as Apple and Google.

Previously, Ranking Member Markey, along with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and all Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee wrote to Administrator Loeffler, urging her to take immediate action to address the impacts of Trump’s reckless tariff policies on small businesses.

In April 2025, Ranking Member Markey released a report, “The Trump Tariffs: A Small Business Crisis,” which details the disastrous impacts of Trump’s tariff policies on small businesses across the country.

###