Congressman Krishnamoorthi Visits Rockford to Highlight How Trump’s Tariffs are Hurting Illinois Small Businesses and Workers

ROCKFORD, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) continued his “Trump Tariff Tour” with a visit to a warehouse operated by Milescraft, a family-owned power tool manufacturer. During the visit, Congressman Krishnamoorthi toured the facility with Milescraft CEO Simon Karkosch and spoke to members of the press about how President Trump’s blanket tariffs are driving up costs, stifling growth, and forcing Illinois businesses to make painful decisions, including layoffs.

“At Milescraft and across our state, the real cost of Donald Trump’s tariff war is being paid by small businesses and working families,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “These blanket tariffs aren’t targeting bad actors or protecting American jobs; they’re raising prices, slashing margins, and threatening the very businesses and workers that keep our local economies going. This isn’t smart economic policy. It’s time to put Illinois jobs and families first by ending this destructive tariff policy.”

Founded in 2002, Milescraft has grown from a small Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) into a leading designer of woodworking tools and power tool accessories. The company now produces and distributes hundreds of products each year. However, under the burden of President Trump’s tariffs, they’ve been forced to cut jobs and grapple with rising input costs. According to recent projections, if all of President Trump’s proposed tariffs are implemented, they could cost the average American household more than $4,400 annually. Already, the Budget Lab at Yale estimates that the 2025 tariffs have increased consumer prices by 2.3 percent, reducing household purchasing power by $3,800 per year on average. Illinois in particular faces significant exposure, with over $82 billion in imports from Canada and Mexico — the state’s two largest trading partners — at risk from these tariffs.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi launched his Trump Tariff Tour last month at Testa Produce in Chicago, followed by stops at Kindred Farms in Atlanta and Cloud Mountain Kombucha Brewery in Urbana. At each stop, he has heard directly from those on the front lines of Illinois’ economy — and pledged to keep fighting for fair trade policies that protect working families and small businesses, not punish them.