Tariffs have become the defining challenge of the current trade environment for U.S. small businesses, according to a new report from Ship4wd.
In fact, 96% of SMBs said tariffs had a direct negative impact on their shipping, sourcing, or supply chain in the past year, with 96% of respondents also ranking tariffs as their primary concern for 2026, and 31% bracing for significant-to-devastating impact.
“Small business are facing one of the most challenging periods they have ever faced. Shortly after recovering from the impact of COVID, they are struggling with the implications of tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty and heightened delivery and shipping costs,” says Carmit Glik, CEO of Ship4wd. “In today’s unpredictable freight ecosystem, SMBs are the first to lose, acutely vulnerable to policy changes, unexpected cost increases and disruptions and our data shows that too many are still navigating these challenges without full visibility into their own operations. To survive and grow SMBs must move from a reactive logistics and freight posture to a proactive planning strategy: knowing where their goods are, where their suppliers stand, and what their costs will be before problems arise. Real-time visibility and integrated sourcing are no longer a luxury. They are the foundation of SMB agility and resilience."
Key takeaways:
- 62% of SMBs report lost revenue or missed sales as a direct consequence of shipping and sourcing problems.
- 51% experienced customer dissatisfaction or churn, a figure that highlights how supply chain failures ultimately affect the customer relationship.
- 99% of respondents reported experiencing at least one unforeseen disruption in the past year, with 82% dealing with disruptions on a regular or recurring basis.
- While 83% of SMBs describe themselves as very or somewhat prepared for supply chain disruptions, only 28% have full real-time visibility into their shipping and sourcing operations. 72% are making critical decisions with incomplete information, and 51% of those who claim to have a disruption protocol have never had to put it to the test.
• 89% say integrated supply chain solutions, linking shipping, sourcing, and inventory, are critical to their business operations, yet many continue to operate with disconnected systems.
• 90% of SMBs plan to invest in new technology, including AI, analytics, IoT, or digital freight platforms, in 2026 to address supply chain challenges.
• 58.8% responded to disruption primarily by increasing inventory levels, a reactive, capital-intensive strategy, compared to 51% leveraging technology such as real-time tracking or AI-powered forecasting.
• 90.8% of SMBs have some form of AI adoption in their logistics operations, yet fewer than 38% are using it for demand forecasting or route optimization, the highest-value applications.
