Amber Morgan, owner of Fortin Gage Flowers on West Pearl Street, could face some serious financial obstacles resulting from federal tariffs. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

NASHUA – Since taking ownership of Fortin Gage Flowers two years ago, Amber Morgan has relied on foreign imports for 90 percent of her inventory.

However, the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are likely to cause her overhead expenses to spike by as much as $80,000 — the equivalent cost of two full-time employees.

Morgan said she is primarily concerned about the 145 percent tariff on Chinese imports, which took effect on April 9, adding that all her vases, planters and other hard goods come from China.

“We saw this coming back in November,” she said.

In response, Fortin Gage has held two vase drives and received 520 vases to date. For every vase that is donated, Morgan said she donates $1 to a local nonprofit organization.

Because she preorders her hard goods, Morgan said the full impact of the Chinese tariffs will not be felt until the summer.

“Our third and fourth quarters will be significantly hit,” she said. “We will not be able to give pay raises, hire new individuals we desperately need, give part-time workers more hours or purchase replacement vehicles we similarly desperately need. This additional financial strain not only affects our ability to remain competitive but also places an undue burden on our loyal customers who rely on our products and services.”

Morgan said 15 percent of her inventory, which includes her assortment of tulips, comes from Canada.

According to the Canadian Department of Finance, a 25 percent tariff on flowers has been in effect since March 4.

With flowers being shipped in every week, Morgan said she is already feeling the effects of the Canadian tariff, thus forcing Fortin Gage to raise its prices.

According to the May 2 report from the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, employment at small businesses has declined by three percent since Trump took office. In contrast, by this point in President Joe Biden’s term, small business employment had climbed by 1.2 percent.

“President Trump’s tariffs are needlessly causing immense uncertainty for small business owners, forcing them to make layoffs, increase prices for their customers and even close their doors,” said U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH). “Through new data and the direct experiences of individual small business owners, this report demonstrates the ways in which tariffs are already hurting small businesses.”

The report also indicated that 30 percent of small business owners will increase their prices in response to the tariffs. In addition, the percentage of small business owners expecting the market to improve declined from 37 percent to 21 percent in March. This is the largest drop in that percentage since December 2020.