Georgia businesses react as Trump proposes new 15% global tariff

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariff plan, Trump announced a plan to impose a 15% global tariff.

Georgia businesses have been impacted differently by tariffs since Trump took office. While some were glad of the Supreme Court decision, others haven’t seen many negative consequences from the tariffs.

Laura Sissoko, founder of Atlantic Fine Woods, makes furniture out of fallen trees, and since the tariffs, she told WRDW that she has seen an increase in orders.

“I used to get people saying well can you price match this thing in China, and obviously I can’t,” she said. “Now the tariffs are kind of making it no different.”

The only item that Sissoko uses that was impacted by tariffs was the epoxy she uses for making tables.

Michael Negron, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress, told WABE that the tariffs will impact Georgia businesses.

“For Atlanta, a major metro area with companies like Coca-Cola, these tariffs are still gonna cost money. And the fact that the president is committed to bringing back sweeping tariffs through some other authority means nobody can rest easy,” said Negron.

Joe Novak owns Kazoo Toys in Buckhead. He told 11Alive that his products are sourced from all over the world, and he feels a sense of relief that many of the tariffs were struck down.

“It would be great if some of that money could be sent back to either us, maybe the consumers, the people who spent that money, maybe it’s in a tax rebate for everyone, because we’ve all been spending additional money in the last year or so. Am I counting on that? No,” said Novak.

Here are some key figures from the start of the tariffs:

• Atlanta-based Newell Brands paid $174 million in unplanned tariff-related costs in 202.
• Nearly 90% of the economic burden from the tariffs landed on U.S. companies and consumers, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
• The new tariff plan could cost the average household around $700 this year.

Another new set of @TaxFoundation estimates from @alex_durante_ and me, reflecting the President’s decision to increase the Section 122 tariffs to 15%:

We estimate the Section 122 tariffs apply to $1.2 trillion worth of annual imports (34% of goods imports).

If temporarily in…

— Erica York (@ericadyork) February 21, 2026