Written by Jon Jacoby

What a wonderful visit to Greenwich, Connecticut earlier this month for an insightful first meeting with GoodWeave licensed partners Pete Spain and Kate Spain of Eye Heart Hand. They have been proud partners of ours for more than seven years. We seized the opportunity to meet at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor, a luxury boutique hotel in that seaside city.

Eye Heart Hand is crucial to an exciting renovation project at the hotel, having designed and produced 168 beautiful custom rugs—their largest order to date. Each one carries a GoodWeave certification label assuring that production was free of child, forced, and bonded labor. Three other striking GoodWeave-labeled rugs welcome visitors to the tasteful lobby and its harbor-facing salons.

The Spains and I had an engaging discussion about their collaboration with Delamar Greenwich Harbor, the home interiors business in general, and the pressures of operating in today’s trade environment. Their story reflects what many of our other business partners are navigating. The U.S. tariff on imports from India increased to 25% earlier this month. The 50% tariff set to take effect today will cause significant financial stress on both Indian rug producers and U.S. buyers, including small businesses such as Eye Heart Hand.

Tariffs do not just change price tags—they reshape the marketplace. When costs rise for responsibly made goods, ethical businesses are disproportionately affected, putting at risk supply chains that protect children and marginalized workers. Carpet producers and workers in places such as Panipat in northern India will feel it through lost income and jobs. Local businesses like Eye Heart Hand in Bridgeport, CT will face rising costs. And consumers everywhere will see options for responsible choices dwindle. While targeted tariffs can be an economic tool, the current Administration’s aggressive, across-the-board approach is shortsighted and counterproductive for most American companies and workers.

The truth is clear: Pete and Kate’s collaboration with the Delamar could not have happened if these tariffs were in place earlier this year. With even steeper increases looming, many American and Indian partners taking the high road on child and forced labor risk may lose similar opportunities. The way forward is recognizing that we all share a stake in keeping clean supply chains viable.