Nearly two-thirds of Connecticut businesses expect their operations to be hurt by the tariff policies enacted by Republican President Donald Trump, according to a Wednesday survey from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
The group’s 2025 Survey of Connecticut Businesses found that 64% of respondent businesses expected to be negatively impacted by the new Republican tax on imported goods while another 18% weren’t sure if their operations would be damaged by Trump’s tariffs. Almost no businesses (just 2%) expected the Republican policy to result in any benefit.
The survey included several quotes from unnamed business leaders about their ability to keep up with rising costs and their concerns about passing those extra tariff costs on to consumers.
“The cost of goods and energy are increasing,” one business leader reported, according to the CBIA survey.
Others in the manufacturing sector reported relying on critical imported components in order to complete their production processes. Tariffs have made those components cost more.
“Many of the parts we use in our American-made equipment are from overseas,” an unnamed business leader said, according to the survey.
“We import critical supplies that are not easily sourced in the U.S. due to lack of capacity and capability,” another Connecticut business reported, according to the survey.
The CBIA survey found that the tariffs combined with the impact of the divisive federal budget created a “deep sense of uncertainty among Connecticut businesses,” with some reporting that abrupt and “radical shifts” from the federal government have created a “highly challenging” business environment.
