Senator Klobuchar Meets with Minnesota Small Businesses Over Tariff Concerns

Lawmakers from both parties raise alarm over loss of overseas markets due to trade policies.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar visited Swing Barrel Brewing in Moorhead, Minnesota to hear directly from small business owners about how tariffs are impacting the state's economy. Klobuchar said she is hearing bipartisan concerns, especially over the loss of overseas markets as trading partners look to make deals with other countries.

Why it matters

Minnesota's small businesses are feeling the effects of ongoing trade disputes and tariffs, which are creating economic uncertainty and making it difficult for them to plan for the future. This issue has become a bipartisan concern, with lawmakers from both parties worried about the long-term damage to U.S. competitiveness.

The details

At the brewery, Klobuchar met with business owners like Sean Syverson, who said the unpredictability of tariff policies makes it harder for small firms to make sound business decisions. The senator said she has co-sponsored a bill to end the emergency declaration that allows the president to impose tariffs, in an effort to eliminate duties on imports from Canada, Minnesota's top trading partner.

  • Klobuchar met with small business owners on Monday, February 17, 2026.
  • The senator said she has co-sponsored a bill to end the emergency declaration allowing tariffs.

The players

Amy Klobuchar

A U.S. Senator representing Minnesota.

Sean Syverson

A small business owner in Moorhead, Minnesota who expressed concerns about the unpredictability of tariff policies.

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What they’re saying

“What we need in order to survive as a small business is stability and a little predictability. When we don't have those things it makes it a lot harder for us to make good solid business decisions.”

— Sean Syverson, Small business owner (Valley News Live)

“What is making them concerned is that these markets are drying up overseas. You see countries like Canada have no choice but to make trade agreements with other countries and that is a huge long term problem for the U-S.”

— Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator (Valley News Live)

What’s next

The senator said she has co-sponsored a bill that would end the emergency declaration, eliminating tariffs on imports from Canada, Minnesota's top trading partner.

The takeaway

Minnesota's small businesses are caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing trade war, facing economic uncertainty and the loss of key overseas markets. This bipartisan issue highlights the need for more stable and predictable trade policies that support the state's entrepreneurs and local economies.