A small manufacturer is stocking up on raw materials. A trucking company is paying $1,500 more for new trailers. A machine-tool company put off plans to build a $5 million headquarters.
The potential for a trade war with China is already rippling through the U.S. economy as leaders of the two countries continue to threaten new tariffs on hundreds of items, from dishwashers to soybeans. Small-business owners aren’t waiting for either side to make good on their saber rattling. They are taking steps to blunt the pain of higher...