Tariffs

Farmers affected by tariffs could be receiving a federal payout. President Trump announced his plan on Truth Social, stating; “We’ve made so much money on tariffs, that we are going to take a small portion of that money, and help our farmers.”Many of them rely on imports like fertilizer ingredients, machinery, fuel and pesticides, in order to grow crops. The 10% blanket tariff on imported goods has increased costs while damaging the trade relationships farmers rely on to export their products.

The path of becoming a professional artist isn’t easy. Aside from developing the necessary skills in your particular field, obtaining specific materials can help separate an artist from the field.

The Trump administration’s tariff war is hurting textile and fiber artists as well as their overseas suppliers. Many of the specialty items these artists use are not available domestically.

The struggles for Florida’s citrus industry continue to hit new lows. A report from the Department of Agriculture revealed that just over 14.5 million boxes were produced during the'25 growing season

Small businesses have been hit hard by the increase in import prices from tariff changes in the past year. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is combatting this through its new Make Onshoring Great Again portal.

Reciprocal tariffs instituted after the presidential election have had a marked effect on local businesses in Fort Myers. The application of a 10% tariff on all imports with higher sectoral tariffs on goods like steel, aluminum, and auto parts has increased operation costs across the area. Estero staple FK Your Diet, a breakfast and lunch restaurant, and Affinity Aluminum, an outdoors enclosure business serving greater Fort Myers, have been affected by this recent legislation.

What exactly are tariffs? And how will these increase impact businesses in The Sunshine State? FGCU professor Victor Claar joins us to offer insight into the drastic changes in international trade.