The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is asking the Trump administration to grant U.S. businesses a full exemption from exorbitant tariffs to avoid an economic downturn and the destruction of countless small businesses, CNN reported.

In a letter to Trump officials, U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark warned that eliminating the tariffs imposed by the U.S. this year “is critical given the negative impact that recent tariffs are having on the U.S. economy, employers, and American families.”

“We are deeply concerned that even if it takes only weeks or months to reach agreements, many small businesses will suffer irreparable harm,” Clark said in a letter sent Wednesday. - "The Chamber reaches out every day to small business owners who see that recent rate increases are jeopardizing their ability to survive.

To “save America's small businesses and prevent a recession,” the Chamber is asking the U.S. administration to immediately begin the process of eliminating the tariffs.

The Chamber argues that the elimination process should automatically exclude any small business importer from being subject to the new tariffs because small firms do not have the profit margins and financial resources to support higher tariffs.

In addition, the Chamber wants the U.S. administration to grant “automatic” tariff exclusions for all products that cannot be produced in America or are not easily sourced locally, such as coffee, bananas, cocoa and certain minerals.

The Chamber is also asking for a procedure that would allow businesses to quickly obtain exemptions when they can demonstrate that tariffs would result in job losses.