President Trump lowered his tariffs on China, and Wall Street breathed a sigh of relief. But for many businesses, especially small ones, 30 percent is still a crippling burden.

特朗普总统降低了对中国的关税，华尔街松了一口气。但对于许多企业，尤其是小企业来说，30%的关税仍然是一个沉重的负担。

The 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods that was in place for nearly a month was unthinkably high for businesses large and small. But the overall average tariff rate on imports to the United States remains at its highest level since 1934, according to a report from the Yale Budget Lab released on Monday. Even Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, said on Thursday that it would have to raise prices on some items in response to tariff-fueled cost increases.

对中国商品征收的145%的关税已经实施了近一个月，这对大大小小的企业来说都是难以想象的高税率。但耶鲁预算实验室周一发布的报告显示，美国进口商品的总体平均税率仍处于1934年以来的最高水平。就连美国最大的零售商沃尔玛也在周四表示，将不得不提高部分商品的价格，以应对关税引发的成本上涨。

And tariffs could rise again if the two countries do not reach a deal within 90 days.

如果两国不能在90天内达成协议，关税可能会再次提高。

The 90-day pause “may temporarily help unstick the effective trade embargo that has been in place,” Steve Lamar, the chief executive of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, said in a statement. But, he added, the 30 percent tax will still cause prices to soar during the back-to-school and holiday seasons this year.

美国服装和鞋类协会首席执行官史蒂夫·拉马尔在声明中表示，90天的暂停“可能暂时有助于解除已经实施的有效贸易禁运”。但他还说，30%的关税仍然会导致今年的返校季和假期季的价格飙升。

“What’s needed now is a long-term deal — not just with China but with all our trading partners — so we can predictably make long-term trade, investment and sourcing decisions,” Mr. Lamar said.

拉马尔说：“现在需要的是长期协议——不仅是与中国，还要与所有的贸易伙伴——这样我们才能做出有预见性的长期贸易、投资和采购决策。”

Unlike large retailers, which can absorb some of the cost of tariffs and have the heft to pressure suppliers, smaller companies that rely on imports from China tend to have minimal leverage to negotiate with their Chinese suppliers — and relatively tight margins. We talked to four business owners about their strategies as tariffs cut into their bottom line.

大型零售商可以吸收部分关税成本，并有能力向供应商施加压力，而依赖从中国进口的小公司则不同，它们在与中国供应商谈判时筹码有限，利润率也相对较低。我们采访了四位企业主，了解他们在关税侵蚀利润时的策略。

Cut the cheapest items

砍掉最便宜的东西

Marina Rosin Levine is the chief executive of Highline United, a footwear company near Boston, which makes roughly half of its items in China. This week, she visited her supply chain headquarters in the Chinese city of Dongguan, where conversations centered on a key question: Which shoes can it afford to sell in the United States?

玛丽娜·罗森·莱文是波士顿附近的鞋业公司高亮联合的首席执行官，该公司大约一半的产品在中国生产。本周，她参观了她在中国东莞的供应链总部，在那里，谈话集中在一个关键问题上：哪些鞋款可以在美国继续出售？

The answer may at first sound counterintuitive: Only the company’s most expensive shoes — those priced at $200 or more — will start to make their way to the United States. Customers who can afford the more expensive shoes can probably afford the additional cost from the import tax. And margins on lower-value items are too tight for the company to import them and turn a profit.

答案乍听起来可能有悖常理：只有该公司最贵的商品——价格在200美元或以上的鞋子——才会继续销往美国市场。买得起更贵鞋子的顾客可能也负担地起进口税带来的额外成本。低价鞋款的利润过于微薄，进口后无利可图。

“That means the consumer with lower discretionary income is the one that’s going to be impacted the most in terms of what’s in stock,” Ms. Levine said.

“这意味着，可支配收入较低的消费者将面临最严重的商品短缺问题，”莱文说。

A pair of $400 boots might be available. But $99 Mary Janes probably won’t be, at least for now.

一双400美元的靴子也许可以买到。但99美元的玛丽珍鞋可能买不到了，至少目前不行。

Consider layoffs

考虑裁员

The latest easing is not reassuring to Cheyenne Smith. When Mr. Trump imposed triple-digit tariffs on China in early April, Ms. Smith, who designs children’s rain boots that are made in China, contemplated drastic measures to save money. She considered closing a warehouse in Salt Lake City where she stores items for her brand, Dakota Ridge, and laying off her three employees.

最新的关税下调并未让夏安·史密斯放心。4月初，当特朗普对中国征收三位数的关税时，这位在中国生产儿童雨靴的设计师就考虑过采取极端措施来省钱。她考虑过关闭盐湖城的仓库，那是她为自己的品牌“达科塔山脊”储存物品的地方，她还考虑过解雇三名员工。

Her costs were rising at the same time that her sales were falling, dampened by customers’ dreary outlook on the economy. Insufficient cash flow, especially for the busy holiday season later this year, became a pressing concern. Mr. Trump’s move to temporarily ease up on tariffs offered little relief.

由于顾客对经济前景的悲观看法，她的成本在上升，同时销售额却在下降。现金流不足，尤其是为年底销售旺季备货的现金流压力，这是一个紧迫的问题。特朗普暂时放松关税的举动并没有带来多少缓解。

“The word ‘temporary’ scares me,” said Ms. Smith, who was still considering moving her inventory to her garage and laying off her staff. “I have zero trust in how long this is going to last, or if it will go higher or lower again.”

“‘临时’这个词让我害怕，”史密斯说，她仍然在考虑把库存搬到车库，同时裁掉员工。“目前的关税究竟会持续多久，未来会再次走高还是走低，我对此毫无信心。”

Put new products on pause

暂停推出新产品

米维雅玩具公司的路易斯·普赖尔。现在，随着关税税率降至30%，普赖尔说，他计划重新开始生产一些最受欢迎的玩具，并尽快将它们运往美国。

Luis Prior, who owns Meavia Toys, a small company in Corbin, Ky., said the 145 percent tariff rate on Chinese imports was “completely unsustainable.” Had it stayed in place for several months, it would have meant the end of his business, which designs sensory toys for children with special needs and manufactures its products in China. Shortly after Mr. Trump unveiled his suite of tariffs on April 2, Mr. Prior halted all production of his toys and held his breath, hoping for a reprieve.

路易斯·普赖尔是肯塔基州科尔宾市一家名叫米维雅玩具的小公司的老板。他表示，对中国进口商品征收145%的关税是“完全不可持续的”。他的公司为有特殊需要的儿童设计感官玩具，并在中国生产，如果这样的关税再持续几个月，那就意味着他的生意完蛋了。特朗普于4月2日公布了一系列关税后不久，普赖尔停止了所有玩具的生产，如履薄冰地等待转机。

Now, with the tariff rate down to 30 percent, Mr. Prior said he planned to restart manufacturing some of his most popular toys again and get them to the United States as soon as possible.

现在，随着关税降至30%，普赖尔说，他计划重新开始生产一些最受欢迎的玩具，并尽快把它们运到美国。

Still, tariffs at 30 percent mean higher prices for his customers. And a lack of clarity from the Trump administration on what will happen in 90 days has kept his plans to introduce new items on pause.

不过，30%的关税对他的客户来说仍然意味着更高的价格。特朗普政府对90天后会发生什么缺乏明确性，他推出新产品的计划被迫暂停。

“It’s still a very unstable and unnerving situation for small businesses that rely on China,” Mr. Prior said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

“对于依赖中国的小企业来说，形势仍然非常不稳定，令人不安，”普赖尔说。“我不知道明天会发生什么。”

Split the cost

分摊成本

Mike Roach, who co-owns a women’s apparel store, Paloma Clothing, in Portland, Ore., made plans on Tuesday to approach his vendors that manufacture in China with an idea: He and his wife, the vendor and the vendor’s manufacturer would each take a 10 percent hit. Under that arrangement, shoppers would not see prices rise.

迈克·罗奇是俄勒冈州波特兰市帕洛玛服装女装店的共同所有者。周二，他计划与中国的供应商接洽，并提出了一个想法：他和妻子、供应商以及供应商的制造商各自承担10%的损失。在这种安排下，消费者不会看到价格上涨。

Whether Mr. Roach’s vendors and their Chinese suppliers all agree is an open question. But, he said, the latest easing in tariff levels at least makes the discussion possible.

罗奇的供应商和他们的中国供应商是否能达成一致，这依然是个未知数。但他表示，最近关税水平的降低至少使讨论成为可能。

“There’s no mitigation you can do at 145 percent,” Mr. Roach said. “That is a complete deal breaker.”

“在145%的关税下，你没有办法减轻损失，”罗奇说。“那会彻底破坏交易。”