Portland business hit hard by tariffs is solicited with offers to cheat paying them

Think Out Loud

Less than 24 hours after a lower court ruling on Wednesday found that President Trump had illegally used an emergency powers law to enact global tariffs, a federal appeals court paused that decision and allowed the tariffs to continue – for now, that is. The legal topsy-turvy added a fresh round of uncertainty for business owners like Leslie Jordan, who started a company in Portland nearly 40 years ago which manufactures athletic apparel and accessories made in factories in China and Pakistan.

In April, when President Trump enacted tariffs of 145% on goods made in China, Jordan had to pay nearly 200% in duties to get her products cleared through customs. She lost business as some orders got canceled and scrambled to move production to factories in countries like Egypt and Vietnam, which face lower tariff rates than China. She also started getting emails from companies that offered their services to help her avoid high tariffs through illegal schemes, such as misclassifying the imported goods or shipping them through a different country.

Jordan recently shared her experiences with the New York Times in their investigation into the rise of trade fraud as a consequence of the tariffs. She joins us to share more details and how she thinks the federal government can more effectively crack down on tariff cheats.