U.S. farmers bear the brunt as tariffs backfire

A combine harvests soybeans at a farm in Illinois, the United States. (VCG Photo)

American farmers, once strong supporters of President Donald Trump, are now facing the harsh reality of Trump's tariffs: shrinking export markets, rising costs, and falling incomes. "Like many of my fellow farmers, I voted for President Donald Trump in the past three elections", Caleb Ragland, the president of the American Soybean Association and also a soybean farmer from Kentucky said in an appeal letter published by The Free Press on April 10, 2025, "But now, because of the trade war with China, I'm worried we could be out of business by 2027. All that history, heritage, blood, sweat, and toil could vanish with the stroke of a pen."

What happened to Ragland is not an individual case, according to a news report from Associated Press, Trump's tariffs are likely to cost Iowa farmers their biggest market, China, for the hundreds of millions of bushels of soybeans they grow every year. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley acknowledged the potential for pain to Iowa farmers, especially grain producers when asked about Trump's tariffs in a public meeting on April 15, 2025.

Ryan Marquard, vice president of the Iowa Farmers' Union said: "That just makes it harder to have a good trading relationship with China. That's really the shame here because what I think a lot of people have strived for is stability through trade and mutual prosperity. And this just smacks that in the face."

At the same time, U.S. sorghum exports to China dropped to around 80,000 metric tons in January and February from around 1.5 million metric tons over the same period a year earlier, down 95%, according to U.S. government data.

According to Reuters, China accounted for nearly 90% of U.S. sorghum exports in 2024, ramping up purchases of the crop it uses to feed livestock and make fiery baijiu liquor. Those purchases have largely ground to a halt as tariff increases by the U.S. and China cripple trade between the world's two largest economies.

Without Chinese demand, U.S. farmers and grain companies face lower prices for sorghum sold for domestically produced ethanol or cattle feed, growers said.

Farmers are not against trade. In fact, they understand that a global market offers opportunities for growth. But the solution lies in fair, equitable trade policies—not tariffs that curb competition and harm agriculture.

"I think one of the best things we could do between the US and China is to get back and make a big trade deal that where both countries are selling each other lots of products, and we have reciprocal trade instead of reciprocal tariffs, which helps both countries make money instead of just fighting." Ragland said, "We support free trade as we oppose tariffs, and we are working hard with our government officials to deliver that message."