Not even MrBeast can afford Trump’s new rules. The YouTuber just slammed the president over import tariffs that are driving up costs for U.S. businesses. He says they’re “brutal” and small businesses are the ones who’ll pay the price.
MrBeast is calling out Donald Trump’s new import tariffs, saying they could make U.S. production way too expensive, not just for his company, but for small businesses everywhere. He says it would actually cost less to manufacture his own chocolate, Feastables, overseas.
New Tariffs Equal Higher Costs
President Donald Trump wants to add big taxes on products from other countries. The idea is to make it more expensive to import things, so that companies start making their products in the U.S. again. It’s supposed to bring jobs back and boost local factories. But that might actually backfire, at least in this case. Instead of helping, the new tariffs are making it cheaper for companies like MrBeast’s Feastables to produce outside the U.S. And that’s the exact opposite of what the plan was meant to do.
Ironically because of all the new tariffs it is now way cheaper to make our chocolate bars we sell globally NOT in America because other countries don't have a 20%+ tariff on our cogs
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) April 8, 2025
MrBeast's Chocolate Might Leave The U.S.
MrBeast says making chocolate bars in the US now costs over 20% more than before. That’s a lot. Ingredients like cocoa and sugar are getting hit with extra taxes. For Feastables, it’s now cheaper to make the same bars in another country and just ship them to the US. And while moving production isn’t the ideal option, it might become the only way to stay competitive.
The Real Victims: Small Businesses
Even though MrBeast runs a huge brand with enough money and reach to adjust, he made it clear: this issue goes way beyond him. For small businesses, these new tariffs could be devastating. Most of them don’t have the budget to move production overseas or deal with sudden price spikes overnight. Prices have already been going up for years, people are still recovering from the financial hit of COVID, and now there’s talk of a possible recession. Add these new tariffs on top of all that, and the consequences are devastating. Most small brands don’t have backup plans or extra money lying around – if costs spike overnight, they’re in real trouble.
Btw we pay our farmers a living income, use fair trade certified beans, etc. so I was already spending a lot on cocoa. A random price hike was pretty brutal ngl. We'll figure it out. I feel for small businesses though. Could really be a nail in the coffin for them.
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) April 8, 2025
While a company like Feastables might find a way around it, countless smaller brands could be pushed out of business entirely. MrBeast called the situation “brutal” – and for a lot of local shops and independent creators, that’s not an exaggeration. It’s survival mode now.
Feastable's Future
MrBeast says that Feastables will keep trying to make their chocolate in a way that’s ethical – meaning fair treatment and pay for the people behind the product, from factory workers to farmers. That’s something the brand has talked about from the beginning. But with production in the U.S. becoming more expensive, they might have to rethink where the bars are made.
Who Really Wins?
Trump’s plan is supposed to help American businesses, but it’s doing the opposite. Small brands are struggling to survive rising costs, big corporations either just pass those costs on to consumers and keep going or move production abroad. And when imported goods get more expensive, people are pushed to buy from major U.S. companies instead. So in the end, it’s the top 1% who benefit – they can adjust, protect their profits, and come out on top, while everyone else is left behind.
What do you think about MrBeast speaking out on this? Let us know in the comments.