A woman from Fairfax County, Virginia, started her business over ten years ago after noticing a gap in the market for items designed specifically for mothers who breastfeed.
Acknowledging the challenge of carrying breast pumping gear back and forth from home to work, Sarah Wells initiated Sarah Wells Bags, an online retailer specializing in stylish breast pump bags and backpacks.
On Capitol Hill on Thursday, she told Democratic lawmakers that President Donald Trump’s tariff policies are endangering her business.
“I’m seeking relief from a trade policy that has the potential to terminate my business and many similar ones,” Wells stated.
Wells’ warehouse for her products is in Madison, Virginia. Her five employees, plus contract workers, are all American. But her product comes from China. She said between existing and new tariffs, she can no longer afford to bring her bags into the port of Baltimore.
“I absolutely couldn’t afford to pay $86,000 to retrieve that $43,000 worth of cargo from the port. It’s more than several employees’ salaries combined. We would need to lay off staff just to free our goods,” she stated.
Earlier this year, Wells finalized her most recent order from China and anticipates potentially exhausting her stock by summertime. Hoping for a shift in strategy, she visited Cambodia lately with the aim of locating a producer who could offer more favorable tariff conditions.
Wells said she’s searched six times for an American maker but hasn’t found a company that can handle the volume of her business.
“I would love to manufacture here,” she said. “I would love that, but it doesn’t exist at scale.”
She expressed doubt about her company’s survival.
“I believed that in this nation, if you presented a solution the market desired, you could achieve success through scaling up. I reached that point. Now, seeing that one single policy can obliterate the entire American Dream overnight is truly heartbreaking,” she stated.
She most desires for additional Republican opinions to align with Democratic ones in encouraging Trump to remove the tariffs.
She expressed her concern about the new mothers she assists as well. Due to tariff-induced price increases, these parents will struggle to decide which essentials to purchase for taking care of their infants.