(ABC 6 News) — President Donald Trump’s tariffs have continued to impact small businesses, but the administration has insisted that the impacts felt across the nation will be temporary.

On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the tariff policy, promising that it would help reinvigorate the American economy.

Bessent said trade with China is the biggest piece of the trade puzzle.

“Getting better terms of trade is not always a great line, and it’s not always a pleasant process, but I think at the end, the trading relationships will be stronger, our security and values ties will still be there,” Bessent said.

However, some business owners say even if the effects are temporary, they are still potentially devastating for businesses that rely on importing products from other countries.

One of those business owners is Beth Benike, whose business, Busy Baby, in Oronoco relies on imports from China.

Benike was recently named the Small Business Person of the Year, and ABC 6 News caught up with her about the impacts of the tariff war while she was in Washington D.C. accepting her award.

“What I’m feeling now is that we have to go global, we are not going to be able to sell in the us for a few years,” Benike said. “I think that hit me really hard this morning. It was hard to get out of bed. It was hard to come to this event because I’ve worked so hard to get this business off the ground,” Benike said.

When asked if he will reduce tariffs on China, President Trump has said it would take something “substantial” for that to happen but insists it will all work out.