British companies warn they face struggle to outlive amid fears their income will likely be HALVED after world was plunged into ‘turmoil’ by Donald Trump’s ‘ridiculous’ tariffs

British business owners have warned they will be fighting to survive after Donald Trump imposed a blanket 10 per cent tariff on UK imports to America.

Firms have told MailOnline the world is in ‘turmoil’ and labelled the US President’s decision to impose the widespread tariffs as ‘ridiculous’. 

Those ramifications are already being felt on these shores with the likes of Waterstones and Jaguar Land Rover pausing orders to America. 

The British bookstore said it was ‘unable to accept or ship orders to the US, while we establish options to be compliant with the new tariffs’.

However, customers could once again order a title online to be shipped to the US today – which comes with a £13 delivery charge plus £1.50 for each additional book. 

Meanwhile, one of Britain’s biggest carmakers suspended shipments to the US over the weekend after a 25 per cent import tariff was slapped on foreign vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover, which has 38,000 British workers, will pause exports to America for two weeks.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has also issued a stark warning, saying the tariffs were a ‘major blow’ to small and medium companies as 59 per cent of small UK exporters sell to the US. 

British businesses have told MailOnline of their anguish amid fears Trump’s bombshell tarriffs could have a devastating impact on their businesses.  

Jennifer Bailey – Calla Shoes  

Jennifer Bailey is the owner of specialist premium footwear brand Calla Shoes and said the world has been plunged into ‘turmoil’ after the US president made a ‘ridiculous’ decision which risks sending companies under and sparking a global trade war.

The company is based in the UK but manufactured in Portugal, which means Ms Bailey will pay the higher EU band of a 20 per cent tariff on imports to the US.

More than 50 per cent of Calla Shoes’ revenue comes from the US market, which has been growing ever since Ms Bailey set up the company in 2016.

Ms Bailey, whose company raked in £1million revenue – including £600,000 in the US last year – told MailOnline: ‘It’s just going to be absolute turmoil… I just can’t afford to take the hit on that coming into place.’

She added: ‘It’s horrible. I feel like the world at the moment is taking the p**s in terms of what’s been thrown at us.

‘I’ve been in business eight years and first of all we had Brexit, then we had Covid, and then we had the war, which put all of raw materials up by 50 to 100 per cent.

‘So we have to increase all the prices of our shoes to stay in business and then the cost of living crisis hit and now this.’

Ms Bailey revealed how she has hired more staff thanks to the growth of her business in the US.

But she warned: ‘If that income isn’t coming in then it’s too big of a proportion of our business to not have a hit on how the business operates or to have an impact on the staff that I employ.’

She added: ‘Last year, the US market took over the revenue that we got from the UK. Our two main markets are the UK and the US.

‘We grew fast on social media and got a bit of PR in America and started getting some brand recognition over there.

‘Our US sales really started to ramp up because no one does what we do in the US. We’re in a niche. We just couldn’t afford to take half of our revenue being wiped out in one go.’

Ms Bailey said the tariff marks a ‘significant blow’ for her brand as well as other US fashion giants such as Nike because America only produces around 1 per cent of the footwear they buy and relies heavily on imports.

Ms Bailey continued: ‘I feel like it’s a ridiculous decision to do a blanket tariff without really understanding what America can actually produce. I get that it’s a way of suddenly opening negotiation channels with the whole world on trade and it’s a shock to get countries to come to the table and negotiate that.

‘But in the meantime, it just means American consumers are just going to have to pay more.’

Calla Shoes make premium quality, stylish shoes for women who have problems with their feet.

The shoes can cost around $300 and Ms Bailey fears it would be difficult to maintain consumers if they have to hike their costs by 20 per cent to $360 to cover the import hike.

She fears that the import trade tariff will have a similar impact to Brexit, where she had to stop selling in the US because it became too expensive with importing parcels.

‘I’m still a small business at the end of the day, and we just couldn’t deal with this.

‘The margins are smaller than fashion and footwear. People don’t think people really appreciate that. It’s not like I’m rolling in piles of cash. I’m not.’

Paulomi Debnath –  Handmade by Tinni

Textile jewellery designer Paulomi Debnath is expecting her revenues at her company Handmade by Tinni to plummet by 50 per cent. 

While she said her customs and shipping costs could rise by as much as 25 per cent.

‘The struggle is real,’ she told MailOnline. 

‘As the sole founder and maker behind Handmade by Tinni — a bold and sustainable textile jewellery brand — the impact of new US tariffs could be deeply personal and financially challenging.

‘I regularly ship to the United States and collaborate with independent boutiques who stock my handmade pieces. The US has been a growing and exciting market for me, and one that’s important for my business’ future. 

‘If new tariffs are introduced on UK imports, it would directly increase shipping and customs costs, making my products more expensive and less accessible for US customers and stockists.’

She says any added costs could force her to increase her prices ‘which risks pushing away customers who already face high international shipping fees’. 

Ms Debnath said she is unable to absorb any ‘unexpected’ costs and ‘every lost sale or cancelled order makes it harder to reinvest in my business, create new designs, or expand my reach’. 

She added: ‘What’s worrying is that these tariffs don’t just hit big exporters — they directly affect solo creatives like me who are trying to grow their businesses through honest, handmade work. 

‘The added pressure of tariffs could make trading internationally feel out of reach for many small makers.

‘At a time when we’re all trying to stay resilient and connected globally, extra barriers like these can be disheartening.’

Martha Keith – Martha Brook 

Martha Keith is the owner of London-based stationery firm Martha Brook. Around 15 percent of her sales go through the US and says the country is ‘one of the biggest growth areas of our business’.

‘One thing that’s currently unclear is how much this will affect direct to consumer orders as well as exports,’ she said. 

‘At the moment there is a ‘di minimis’ threshold of $800, under which businesses don’t need to pay any tariffs. 

‘Trump is removing this for China as a trial and the concern is that he’ll expand this wider once he’s worked out how to implement it through the US postal system. 

‘Even if he doesn’t, the confusion around this could well affect consumer confidence of Americans ordering from overseas. 

‘In Etsy, for example, 40 percent of our sales are from the US, so it’s a hugely important area of our business.

‘In general, this comes at the worst possible time for small businesses with rising costs across the board and US having become an increasingly important market to export to with the increased challenges of sending to the EU post Brexit. 

‘I’m glad the 10 percent isn’t higher but the uncertainty of the impact this will have is another challenge we don’t need right now.’

Meanwhile, experts have also warned that Trump’s tariffs could not have come at a worse time for the slumping UK economy.

Riz Malik, Independent Financial Adviser at R3 Wealth, said: ‘The threat of US tariffs is a major blow to UK exporters, especially the car industry, with Jaguar already halting shipments. 

‘While Trump is known for sudden U-turns, uncertainty alone is damaging. For a UK economy already under strain, this latest jolt could not come at a worse time.’

Harry Goodliffe, director at HTG Mortgages, said: ‘Trump’s tariffs, combined with National Insurance hikes and a minimum wage increase, are stacking up the pressure on UK businesses. With costs rising across the board, many will have no choice but to pass them onto consumers, or worse, make tough decisions on jobs. 

‘It’s a perfect storm of increased costs, reduced sales, and a tightening labour market. No business will be immune, and the next few months will be make or break for many. Adapt fast or risk getting left behind.’