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United States Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised a glass of cider, toasting to Talking Cursive Brewery Co. co-owner Andrew Brooks on the importance of small businesses.

Gillibrand, joined by other New York lawmakers, visited the Syracuse business Friday to denounce the negative impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on small businesses.

“Over the last 11 months, President Trump and his administration have needlessly created tremendous economic pain and it is landing squarely on the backs of working families,” Gillibrand said.

Trump has been raising tariffs — taxes on imported goods — on all global partners since the beginning of his second term. In response, some countries, like China, have implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports.

The group of Democratic legislators called Trump’s recent tariffs “reckless” and promoted the Small Business Relief Act, a bill co-sponsored by Gillibrand and other Senate Democrats, calling for tax exemptions on imported goods for small businesses.

Talking Cursive — a woman-and-veteran-owned brewery — opened in 2019 in Downtown Syracuse by Brooks and his wife Patty.

Small businesses like theirs rely on the holiday season for up to 30% of their annual revenue, Forbes reported. Due to tariffs, small businesses face challenges like increased product costs and supply chain disruptions this season.

Brooks said that Talking Cursive was hit hardest by tariffs, which doubled the cost of aluminum.

“For us, that means (aluminium) can costs are up 40%. To put that in perspective, that’s almost $2 added to every case of beer we produce,” he said. “Many of those ripple effects are just starting.”

Brooks said these tariffs don’t just raise costs, they shrink markets. Two-thirds of Talking Cursive’s beer is self-distributed throughout New York state, including the Thousand Islands region — where Brooks said sales were down 45% this year.

“This isn’t just about beer. This isn’t about left versus right. It’s about right versus wrong,” Brooks said.

Brooks said he’s been forced to make several financial changes to his business due to the new tariffs. Prior to Trump’s executive order, Brooks would purchase the brewery’s “most important” hops from last year’s growing season — but now, European hops have a 15% tariff. As a result, the brewery has to raise prices on some menu items, Brooks said.

Small businesses all over the state — which make up 99.8% of all businesses in New York — are feeling the repercussions of Trump’s tariffs, Gillibrand said. Small businesses employ four million New Yorkers. Nearly 90% of small and midsize business owners say inflation is hurting their operations, and 64% say they’ve had to raise prices, Gillibrand said.

New York Sen. Rachel May said the nearby Keuka Lake area, which is about an hour and a half drive from Syracuse, is experiencing less tourism than normal, which directly impacts the businesses there.

“It is just criminal to see how our federal government is impeding small businesses in this district and across the country,” May said. “So, I’m grateful to (Sen. Gillibrand) for your legislation and we’ve got to do everything we can to support our small business.”

Local consumers are also having to make more conscious spending decisions due to rising tariffs, Gillibrand said.

“A lot of people are just looking at these costs and saying, ‘Which one can I pay for and which one can I skip?’ And it’s really hard,” she said.

Syracuse Common Councilor Donna Moore said increasing prices hurt the city’s residents every day. She encouraged attendees to make smarter voting decisions to make sure the federal government is uplifting businesses.

“Vote for people that are going to support you and not big business and not their own pockets,” Moore said.

Gillibrand condemned the Trump administration for not exempting working people from the negative impacts of tariffs.

“Instead of doing anything to help, President Trump is building a new ballroom,” Gillibrand said. “He’s delivering on his campaign promise to lower taxes for the wealthiest among us, particularly his billionaire buddies, and I think it’s absolutely wrong.”

Gillibrand ended her remarks by emphasizing her commitment to demanding relief for small business owners and consumers. She said she plans to “stop President Trump from doing what he’s doing” through legislation designed to support her constituents.

“This season should be filled with joy and generosity,” Gillibrand said. “American families deserve an economy that lifts them up and that doesn’t push them to the brink.”

The Small Business Relief Act, introduced in the Senate on Sept. 11, is awaiting debate.

Published on December 13, 2025 at 6:51 pm