Tariffs were already squeezing small businesses. Now the Iran conflict is pushing them to the brink as rising oil prices boost shipping costs

Three weeks into the Iran war, small businesses are starting to feel the pressure of the conflict, and experts say the worst may still be yet to come. Unlike larger corporations who, at least in the short term, can absorb higher costs and shipping upheaval caused by the Iran war, smaller businesses are especially at risk, said Brett Massimino, an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s business school and chair of the department of supply chain management and analytics. For Lobster Boys, these increases have meant higher prices for shipping their products to the continental U.S.—increases that Maderia said the company has had to pass on to the restaurants and grocery stores they sell to.

Author: Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez

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