Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a beloved family business, only to watch it teeter on the brink of collapse due to decisions made thousands of miles away. This is the harsh reality for Jared and Dawnita Hendricks, owners of Village Lighting, a Utah-based Christmas supply company now grappling with staggering costs thanks to skyrocketing tariffs.
For 23 years, the Hendricks have brought holiday cheer to homes across the country, selling festive lights, garlands, wreaths, and decor to big-box stores and online shoppers. Their small but thriving business employs 15 people and has been a staple of the West Valley City community. But this year, the joy of the season feels dimmed by a looming financial crisis.
When their 2025 holiday inventory arrived from Asia earlier this year, it came with a shocking surprise: tariffs of up to 50% on each item. These additional costs are the direct result of former President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, which have pushed U.S. import duties to levels unseen in over a century. While the Trump administration argues that tariffs will strengthen the U.S. economy by incentivizing domestic manufacturing and pressuring trade partners, the reality for businesses like Village Lighting is far less rosy.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Are these tariffs truly benefiting the American economy, or are they disproportionately burdening small businesses and consumers? The Hendricks, like many others, find themselves caught in the crossfire of global trade wars, struggling to stay afloat as tariff costs outpace their profit margins.
“The tariff costs are simply unsustainable,” Jared Hendricks told NBC News during an interview at his Utah warehouse. “We can’t pass these costs on to our customers without risking our profitability—or worse, losing them altogether.”
This isn’t just a problem for Village Lighting. The entire Christmas decor industry is reeling, as it has long relied on affordable imports from Asia. According to “We Pay the Tariffs,” a coalition of small businesses that includes Village Lighting, American companies importing holiday decor have already shelled out over $400 million in tariff fees this year—a staggering 1,438% increase from the $26 million paid last year.
To put it in perspective, businesses across the U.S. have been scrambling to time their overseas orders to avoid the worst of the tariffs. But for Village Lighting, which plans inventory up to a year in advance, this wasn’t an option. After a record-breaking 2024, the Hendricks ordered extra stock last December, only to be blindsided by Trump’s sweeping tariffs in April. By then, their shipments were already en route, leaving them with no choice but to absorb the costs.
So far, that decision has cost them nearly $750,000—and the bills keep coming. Tariffs are deducted directly from their bank account 30 days after each shipment arrives, forcing the couple to leverage everything they own, including their home, to stay afloat. Their goal? To keep price hikes under 5% for customers this Christmas season.
And this is the part most people miss: While the Hendricks are doing their best to shield consumers, the impact of tariffs is still being felt across the country. According to the National Retail Federation, 85% of shoppers expect to pay more this holiday season due to tariffs. Lending Tree estimates that the average American will spend an extra $132 on holiday expenses, with Goldman Sachs suggesting consumers are shouldering up to 55% of overall tariff costs.
For the Hendricks, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. “During Covid, it felt like we were all in it together,” Dawnita Hendricks reflects. “Now, it feels like it’s just us against the failure of our business—because of something completely out of our control.”
This lack of control is casting a shadow over Village Lighting’s future. After 23 years of hard work, Jared wonders, “What’s the second half of my life going to look like? Will we ever be able to retire and enjoy our grandchildren?”
Tariffs, he says, have brought those dreams to a grinding halt, leaving them to question, “What’s next?”
But here’s the bigger question for all of us: Are tariffs truly the solution to America’s economic challenges, or are they placing an unfair burden on small businesses and consumers? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s keep this conversation going.
