The Trump administration is aiming to give a MAGA business in Florida relief from President Donald Trump's tariffs, calling it a "significant strain on the company's financials."
Crossbow manufacturer Barnett Crossbows, owned by Ryan Busbice, an outspoken Trump supporter, is apparently getting special treatment, according to an exclusive Salon report.
In documents reviewed by Salon, Benjamin Grayson, the deputy chief of staff at the Small Business Administration, sent an email on March 27 to Samuel Scales, a U.S. Trade Representative staffer, over concerns from Barnett Crossbows, which makes crossbows.
Grayson said the Trump supporter's company was “caught in a weird spot with the tariffs." He asked Scales, "Is there anything your office can do?” He shared information from Busbice about the company's situation following the tariffs, saying they are in the process of transferring the manufacturer back to the United States after "cleaning up the business" following the pandemic, but that new tariffs were putting the company in a tough financial spot.
“We are trying to help him from the SBA side with a loan,” Grayson said, citing his efforts to help Busbice's business.
Busbice named the "20% increase in the tariff on all imported goods and the 25% tax on metal goods, in particular."
So far, Trump has only threatened a 20% tax on all imported goods but has implemented a 20% tariff on all imports from China, Salon reports.
The Trump administration has not offered a public exemption process for tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The private company, Barnett Crossbows, is also known as Barnett Outdoors. It's not required to disclose its financials; however, the company website suggests that its crossbow products are American-made.
"I’ve been all in on @realdonaldtrump since the beginning. This is the most important election of our lifetime. Please go vote…EVERY SINGLE VOTE COUNTS!" Busbice posted with a photos of Trump on Instagram Nov. 4, 2024.