A total of 294 businesses across all key industries took part in the survey. Eighty-one per cent of respondents were from SMEs, with large enterprises (5 per cent) and MNCs (14 per cent) making up the rest.
Close to two-thirds of the respondents were from the wholesale trade and manufacturing sector, SBF said.
MNCs could take a larger hit from US tariffs, with 40 per cent of them engaging in direct sales and exports to the US, compared to only 24 per cent of SMEs.
For large enterprises, an equal proportion are either selling or exporting directly to the US, or not engaging with the market entirely.
Both MNCs and large enterprises are more diversified in their revenue streams, however, with 69 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively, saying that less than a quarter of their revenue comes from the US market.
Government support
Tax relief – such as tax credits and deferred tax payments – was the top choice of government support sought by three in five businesses, at 68 per cent.
Broken down, this was the top preference of SMEs (67 per cent), MNCs (74 per cent) and large enterprises (79 per cent).
Next was government financial aid such as grants, low-interest loans and subsidies, at 61 per cent.
Other types of help cited were regulatory flexibility, workforce support (including training programmes) and updates on relevant trade-related information, at 43 per cent.
Over 60 per cent of businesses said they would need updates on free trade agreements, 57 per cent sought guidance on customs procedures and regulations, and 52 per cent wanted detailed guidance on compliance and documentation requirements.