Social posts cite tariffs hurting small businesses

A May 24 social-media claim that tariffs are hurting U.S. small businesses traces back to a new survey commissioned by digital freight forwarder Ship4wd, not to a government data release. Ship4wd said on May 19 that 96% of surveyed small and medium-sized businesses reported a direct negative effect from tariffs on shipping, sourcing or supply-chain operations in the past year. The post that circulated on X pointed to that 96% figure but did not include the survey details. Those details were published separately by Ship4wd and in follow-up trade coverage. ### Where did the 96% claim come from? Ship4wd said the number came from a Pollfish survey of 500 U.S.-based small and medium-sized business owners or decision-makers conducted in April 2026. The company said respondents were actively involved in shipping, sourcing or supply-chain management. Trade publication Supply Chain Xchange and Digital Commerce 360 both reported the same survey design and the same topline result. (prnewswire.com) The May 19 Ship4wd release said 96% of respondents reported tariffs had a direct negative impact in the past year, and 96% also ranked tariffs as their primary concern for 2026. Because the survey was commissioned by a freight and sourcing platform, the figure should be read as company-sponsored survey data rather than an official federal estimate. (thescxchange.com) ### What else did the survey say about costs and disruption? Ship4wd said 62% of respondents reported lost revenue or missed sales because of shipping and sourcing problems, while 51% said they experienced customer dissatisfaction or churn. The company also said 99% reported at least one unforeseen disruption in the past year and 82% said those disruptions were regular or recurring. (prnewswire.com) Digital Commerce 360 reported additional detail from the same survey: 73.4% of respondents said tariffs were the top factor affecting shipping, sourcing or supply chains over the past year. That report said 38% of affected businesses described the tariff impact as moderate, 34% as significant and 5% as devastating. (prnewswire.com) ### How prepared did small businesses say they were? Ship4wd said 83% of respondents described themselves as very or somewhat prepared for supply-chain disruptions, but only 28% said they had full real-time visibility into shipping and sourcing operations. The company said 72% were making decisions without complete information, and 51% of those with a disruption protocol had never tested it. (digitalcommerce360.com) Supply Chain Xchange reported that 59% of surveyed businesses were stockpiling inventory as a coping strategy. Digital Commerce 360 separately reported that 91% said they were already using artificial intelligence in some form within logistics operations and 89% had integrated supply-chain solutions they considered critical to their business. (prnewswire.com) ### Is there broader evidence that tariff pressure is weighing on businesses? The National Federation of Independent Business said on April 14 that its Small Business Optimism Index fell 3 points in March to 95.8, below its 52-year average of 98.0, while its Uncertainty Index rose to 92. Ship4wd cited that deterioration in sentiment as part of the backdrop for its survey. (digitalcommerce360.com) Thomson Reuters said in its 2025 Tariffs Report that surveyed global trade professionals identified increased costs and a greater likelihood of supply-chain disruptions as the biggest challenges from U.S.-imposed tariffs. That survey covered larger companies — firms with at least $200 million in annual global revenue — so it is not directly comparable to the Ship4wd small-business sample, but it points in the same direction on cost and disruption pressure. (nfib.com) ### So what can be verified about the viral post? The May 24 social post accurately reflected a real survey result, but the number comes from a Ship4wd-commissioned Pollfish survey of 500 U.S. SMB decision-makers conducted in April 2026, not from a public government series. The clearest underlying documents are Ship4wd’s May 19 release and trade write-ups published May 21 by Supply Chain Xchange and Digital Commerce 360. (prnewswire.com) (thomsonreuters.com)