Tariff Costs Force MN Company To Walk Away From $160K China Shipment

ORONOCO, MN — The owner of Minnesota-based Busy Baby said she’s abandoning over $160,000 worth of silicone baby mats in China, unable to afford the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.

"I am leaving them there because I simply cannot afford to ship them here," Beth Benike said in a tearful post Monday to friends and customers on social media. "I am terrified for my business and for all the small businesses in the United States."

The news comes just days after the U.S. Small Business Administration named Benike — an Army veteran — the Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year.

Trump is set to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese goods starting Wednesday, bringing the total tariff for many items to 104 percent.

Busy Baby, based in Oronoco, is a small but growing company that recently signed deals with both Walmart and Target, the Star Tribune reported.

As a result of the tariffs, Benike said she's now trying to find a way to sell her products in another country because she "can’t afford to bring them into our own country."

"I don’t understand what is happening and am terrified about how these tariffs are affecting our business and thousands of other small businesses. We tried to find a way to manufacture in the US for two years. It’s not feasible."

Benike added that "I will not fail. I will find a way. I refuse to be a victim. We will adapt and overcome. But today I will cry."

Benike launched her placemat-and-tether system in 2020 as a home-based startup. Busy Baby has since grown into a 7,000-square-foot operation with five employees.

The company now offers eight interchangeable products available at major retailers, all built around its patented "stop-drop" technology. Originally designed for babies, it's now improving daily life for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

The United States is the biggest importer in the world with $3.2 trillion in goods coming into the country in 2022, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The tariffs are expected to have a wide effect on items in Americans’ pantries, closets, vanities, liquor cabinets, toy chests, garages, and other aspects of their lives.