Maryland's small businesses caught in the crosshairs of a global tariff war | wusa9.com

ROCKVILLE, Md. — While the halls of the Supreme Court and the Governor’s mansion in Annapolis are buzzing with legal filings and high-level demands, the real impact of the national tariff battle is being felt in the quiet breakrooms and crowded warehouses of Maryland’s small importers.

Inside his Rockville office we found German importer Arnim Von Friedeburg.

15 years ago, Von Friedeburg started Taste of Germany to bridge the gap between Europe and the United States on the dinner plate. He brought authentic spätzle, bratwurst, and a host of other foods to a "hungry US population."

“The growth was wonderful up until the first inflation and then tariffs,” Von Friedeburg said.

That growth hit a wall last year when the Trump administration implemented across-the-board tariffs. Unlike giant corporations, small specialty importers often lack the margins to absorb sudden double-digit tax hikes.

“We cannot pass the cost on to the consumer as much one to one because the consumers are only willing to pay (so much) for specialty foods,” he said.

The story is the same across the state. In Prince George’s County, a local linen store was forced to close its doors permanently after the costs of imported fabric became unsustainable. A nearby coffee company saw its operating expenses strangled by the duties on beans and equipment.

For Von Friedeburg, the "win" at the Supreme Court in February — which struck down the initial set of tariffs — hasn't yet translated into relief at the cash register. Instead, it has created a new layer of bureaucratic chaos.

The 'refund' paradox

Governor Wes Moore has formally requested that the Trump administration issue refunds to Maryland businesses for the billions collected under the now-unlawful tariffs. However, for a small business owner, "justice" comes with a heavy paperwork trail.

“The cost and complexity of asking for a refund of less than a thousand dollars of what I imported will not make any sense,” said Von Friedeburg.

Even as small businesses look backward at refunds, a new 15% universal tariff announced in February threatens to reset the clock on their financial recovery.

This week Maryland’s Attorney General’s joined 24 other states in a lawsuit against the ‘new tariffs.’

Von Friedeburg seemed to appreciate the gesture but isn’t hopeful it will calm the trade storm.

“We are confident we will be muddling through that as well,” he said standing in his breakroom.

For now, Maryland’s importers are doing exactly that — balancing the books, watching the courts, and hoping the next shipment arrives without a surprise tax bill.