U.S. Chamber of Commerce asks Trump for tariff exclusions to ‘stave off a recession’

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is urging the Trump administration to immediately implement a “tariff exclusion process” in order to keep the U.S. economy from falling into a recession and inflicting “irreparable harm” on small businesses.

In a letter first obtained by CNBC, the massive business lobbying group asked key Trump trade officials to automatically lift tariffs on all small business importers and on all products that “cannot be produced in the U.S.” or are not domestically available.

The letter from the chamber’s CEO, Suzanne Clark, also asked the Trump administration to establish a process for businesses to quickly obtain tariff exclusions if they can demonstrate that import duties pose “significant risks to U.S. employment.”

“We are deeply concerned that even if it only takes weeks or months to reach agreements, many small businesses will suffer irreparable harm,” Clark wrote in the letter sent late Wednesday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“The Chamber requests the administration take immediate actions to save America’s small businesses and stave off a recession,” she wrote.

Asked Thursday morning if the Trump administration is considering the chamber’s request for tariff exemptions, White House deputy chief of staff Steven Miller suggested it is not.

“The relief for small businesses is going to come in the form of the largest tax cut in American history,” he said in a press briefing, referring to Republicans’ plan to pass a major tax-cut bill this year.

Miller also said that President Donald Trump has “made clear” that companies that invest in the U.S. will face no liability from tariffs.

Pressed to clarify that he was rejecting the idea of short-term tariff relief for small businesses, Miller said, “It’s a yes on tax relief for small businesses. And again, you only pay the tariff for products that are made outside the United States.”

Read the full letter here.

— CNBC’s Eamon Javers contributed to this report.