ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A Colorado small business owner who was hit hard by tariffs is cautiously optimistic after the Supreme Court ruled most of President Trump's sweeping tariffs are illegal.
Michael Mojica runs his small business "Outdoor Element" from an Englewood warehouse.
Using mostly steel and aluminum, he makes fire-starting carabiners, survival knives, and other outdoor gear.
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"When I try to do something creative, I try to make it very personal and meaningful," Mojica said, referring to his love for the outdoors.
This past summer, Denver7 visited Mojica's business as President Trump's tariffs took effect. The impact was immediate and challenging.
"It was definitely something that was hard hitting," Mojica explained.
But the tariffs forced him to be nimble, sourcing some materials from Vietnam instead of China to offset costs.
"It keeps me on my toes. I will say that," Mojica said.
Now, after the Supreme Court's Friday ruling, Mojica had an initial burst of excitement.
"I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, this is gonna change everything'," Mojica said.
But his optimism is now met with some skepticism.
That's because experts say it's unclear exactly which tariffs will be impacted by the ruling or if business owners will see any backpay.
"I think there is, in fact, there is even more uncertainty now, because he [President Trump] has already said that we will find a way to have some more tariffs...," said Kishore Kulkarni, an economics professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Shortly after the ruling, President Trump posted on Truth Social saying that he signed a 10% tariff on all countries which will be "effective almost immediately."
While businesses like Outdoor Element wait to see what happens next, Mojica remains hopeful that small businesses will see some relief and have a voice in future decisions.
"Hear us, allow us to have a voice and and then come up with creative solutions," Mojica said.
