BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Small businesses make up the backbone of Vermont’s economy — and its reputation for artisanal products and craftsmanship. But most are also participants in a global economy that has been quaking from the tectonic shifts caused by President Donald Trump’s tariff regimen.

These smaller enterprises lack the resources to absorb increased costs and the scale needed to negotiate with suppliers, making them particularly susceptible to financial upheaval from tariffs.

Cam Smith spoke with Seven Days’ Derek Brouwer, who wrote about some of those businesses in this week’s issue.

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