For some Maine small business owners, importing goods from overseas is becoming more complicated – and costly – as international trade rules continue to shift. Kendra Millis, who runs the Maine Fiber Workshop on the side, recently experienced the challenges firsthand…
Wade Merritt, president of the Maine International Trade Center, said Mills’ experience is far from unique. The organization has heard from businesses large and small struggling with similar tariff issues.
“It can be very complicated for a small business that doesn’t really have that expertise in-house to figure out how best to manage their way through the process,” Merritt said.
He added that the center provides support, guidance, and connections to help Maine companies navigate international trade. The organization will also be hosting a webinar on October 21st to discuss tariff strategies for Maine manufacturers.
“We have a broad network both in the state and outside the state to be able to point business in directions that they need and appropriate to their size,” Merritt said. “There’s so many different scenarios, so many different situations. The best advice that we can kind of give to people is get expert help, because it’s really really challenging to try and navigate this yourself.”