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The Impact of Tariffs and Trade Policy Uncertainty on SME Supply Chains

Stephen LeMay & Dave McMahon

Journal of Small Business Strategy2026https://doi.org/10.53703/001c.157795article
ABDC C
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

The United States economy relies heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The private sector workforce consists mainly of SME employees. SMEs represent 97% of all importing firms. These firms need global supply chains to support their business models, so they are exposed to the greatest risks from trade policy changes. This research examines the effects of tariffs and trade policy uncertainty (TPU) on SME supply chains. The study draws on theoretical frameworks, including Real Options Theory, Transaction Cost Economics, and Supply Chain Resilience Theory, and uses real-world examples to inform its analysis. The current tariffs impose immediate costs on companies, but trade policy uncertainties prevent SMEs from investing in their supply chains and maintaining agility. The paper evaluates emerging academic findings on SME responses to supply chain disruptions and recommends policies to enhance resilience amid trade policy volatility.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.53703/001c.157795

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@article{stephen2026,
  title        = {{The Impact of Tariffs and Trade Policy Uncertainty on SME Supply Chains}},
  author       = {Stephen LeMay & Dave McMahon},
  journal      = {Journal of Small Business Strategy},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.53703/001c.157795},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.