Étape 1 / 3 - Un nouveau contexte

Small Businesses on Tariffs: "A Matter of Survival"

A different source, a different context: real testimonies from US small business owners.

Testimonies collected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Small Businesses on Tariffs: "A Matter of Survival"

Tariffs are having a real and devastating impact on thousands of small businesses across the nation, as uncertainty, rising costs, and cancellations are hitting home. Here is what some owners told us:

"With 36% (38% with steel) tariffs for Thailand, we can't survive, and at this point have stopped ordering any new products. The uncertainty is insanity and the back and forth is crushing small businesses like us. If nothing is done soon we will have to shut down our business."

- Matt Katzman, owner and operator, Velocity Sleep, Suffield, Connecticut

"My costs are skyrocketing due to inflation caused by the tariffs. Unless things change, I may be forced out of business in 2025."

- Joseph Polito, Owner, South Shire LLC, Bennington, Vermont

"At the end of the day, we have bills to pay. I have employees to pay. I have a family to run. If I'm not taking any profits home, how much longer can I keep doing this?"

- Pawandeep Kaur Khinda, owner, All India Cafe, California (to NBC News)

Source : uschamber.com/small-business - U.S. Chamber of Commerce  ·  Level: B2

Comprehension check

1. According to these testimonies, what is the general impact of tariffs on small businesses?

Tariffs are having a "real and devastating impact": rising costs, cancelled orders, and for some owners, the real risk of having to close their business.
Grille d'auto-correction - Question 1
CritèreDescriptionAuto-évaluation
Compréhension de l'impact global J'ai identifié que les témoignages décrivent un impact réel et dévastateur (coûts en hausse, commandes annulées, risque de fermeture)

2. Find and copy one conditional sentence from the testimonies. Is it 1st or 2nd conditional?

e.g. "If nothing is done soon we will have to shut down our business." → 1st conditional (real, likely situation).
Grille d'auto-correction - Question 2
CritèreDescriptionAuto-évaluation
Repérage et identification du conditionnel J'ai cité une phrase conditionnelle du texte et identifié correctement son type (1st conditional)
🎯 À retenir - Nouveau contexte : Les témoignages de commerçants américains montrent l'impact concret des droits de douane sur une petite entreprise : hausse des coûts, commandes annulées, incertitude. Le 1st conditional ("If nothing is done, we will have to shut down") sert à exprimer une conséquence réelle et probable d'une situation présente.
Étape 2 / 3 - Mise en situation professionnelle

Loop - Sourcing a New Supplier Abroad

Apply your skills to a realistic workplace task.

Context

You work at Loop, a lifestyle and concept store in Paris. Your manager is considering a new overseas supplier for a range of home decor products and wants your help evaluating the risks and choosing the right Incoterm.

CD

Claire Dubois

Store Manager, Loop

"I've found a great new supplier in Vietnam, but I'm a bit worried about customs delays and possible tariff changes. Could you write a short email to the supplier asking about their preferred Incoterm, and a quick internal note for me summarising the risks?" - Claire Dubois, Store Manager
Your Task

Write an email (80-100 words) to the new Vietnamese supplier, asking about their preferred Incoterm and any conditions on delivery. Use at least one conditional sentence.

0 / 100 words
Your Task

Write a short internal note (100-120 words) to Claire summarising the risks of this new supplier relationship (tariffs, customs, lead times) and your recommendation. Use at least one conditional sentence.

0 / 120 words

Dear Mr. Tran,

We are very interested in working with you as our new home decor supplier. Before we sign an agreement, could you tell us which Incoterm you usually work with - FOB or CIF, for example? If tariffs increase in the coming months, we would like to know in advance how this could affect our final costs. We would also appreciate an estimated lead time for a first trial order.

Looking forward to your reply.
Best regards,

🎯 À retenir - Tâche professionnelle : Face à l'incertitude d'un nouveau fournisseur à l'international, pensez à formuler clairement vos hypothèses avec des conditionnelles ("if tariffs increase, this would affect our costs") et à toujours préciser l'Incoterm attendu pour éviter les malentendus sur les responsabilités logistiques.
Étape 3 / 3 - Auto-évaluation

Self-assessment Grid

Rate your own production honestly - this mirrors the E4 oral/written evaluation criteria. Cette grille de 5 critères complète les 2 grilles de compréhension déjà remplies à l'étape 1.

CritèreDescriptionAuto-évaluation
RegistreTon professionnel et adapté (email formel / note interne)
GrammaireConditionals (1st & 2nd) utilisés correctement
VocabulaireLexique du commerce international mobilisé à bon escient
PertinenceRéponse adaptée à la demande de Claire Dubois
ConsignesLongueur respectée pour chaque production

Mon bilan général du chapitre

Ce bilan agrège automatiquement les 2 grilles de compréhension (étape 1) et les 5 critères de la tâche professionnelle (ci-dessus) - 7 critères au total.

Note chaque critère (étape 1 et ci-dessus) pour voir ton bilan général.

Checklist finale

Chapitre 13 terminé !

Vous maîtrisez maintenant le vocabulaire du commerce international, les Incoterms, et les conditionnels 1 & 2.

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