Trump cabinet member visits Suwanee: 'The top concern is not tariffs'

Kelly Loeffler on Trump's tariffs

President Donald Trump’s Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler returned to metro Atlanta to tour a factory in Suwannee. She also sat one-on-one with FOX 5 Atlanta's Rob DiRienzo to discuss the impact Trump's tariffs are having on small businesses.

SUWANEE, Ga. - President Donald Trump’s Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler visited metro Atlanta Monday as small business owners are bracing for the impact of new tariffs.

The 145% tax on anything China imports could cause inventory shortages and price hikes, even on items produced domestically, some economists have warned.

But Loeffler told FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo in a one-on-one interview she sees it differently.

"The top concern is not tariffs," Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administrator, told FOX 5. "We can't have a strong economy if we don't have jobs, if we don't have industry, and that's what President Trump is helping bring back to the table."

What we know:

Small Business Administrator Loeffler toured Winton Machine Company in Suwanee to mark President Trump’s first 100 days in office Monday afternoon.

She said her work of slashing regulations and investing in the private sector will take some time. 

Winton Machine builds manufacturing equipment and expects to be affected by the tariffs, its CEO said.

"It's a big supply chain. Manufacturing is a global supply chain," Lisa Winton, Winton Machine Company CEO, said. "We're already seeing from some of our vendors, we're getting letters announcing that as of May 1, we're going to be seeing the tariffs as a line item on our invoices."

But Winton said her company has weathered tough times before, and they'd do it again. 

The backstory:

President Trump's administration has promoted policies aimed at boosting American manufacturing and rewriting international trade deals, including imposing steep tariffs on Chinese goods. 

Some economists have warned these measures could cause supply chain disruptions, leading to higher prices and product shortages.

FOX 5 asked Loeffler for her message to small business owners throughout metro Atlanta grappling with the economic uncertainty.

"My message is: What's happening right now is critically important to the future of our country," Loeffler said. "If we become more and more reliant on China, and we haven't dealt with this problem in the next ten years, not only would our trade deficit be in the multi-trillions, but we will have hollowed out even more jobs."

By the numbers:

An SBA spokesperson said it has approved $12.6 billion in loans for small businesses since President Trump took office.

They said they also saw a 95% increase in loans for businesses with five or fewer employees, a 56% increase in loans for startups, and a 74% increase in loans for manufacturers.