Ohio farmers are paying a steep price as President Donald Trump’s expanded tariffs on Chinese goods ripple through the agricultural economy, according to a new report that highlights mounting export losses and growing uncertainty. The analysis shows Ohio farmers lost nearly $76 million in exports to China this year compared with the same period a year earlier, underscoring how trade tensions are hitting farm states hard.
Tariffs, which are taxes on imports, have been rolled out aggressively since the start of Trump’s second term. According to the Atlantic Council’s Tariff Tracker, the administration has imposed an evolving set of tariffs on nearly every country in the world, with Russia standing as a notable exception. Economists say the constantly shifting policy has made long-term planning difficult for businesses, dampening investment and raising costs.
Also Read: Farmers Warn Trump’s Tariffs Could Cost Them a Generation
Surveys from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland suggest those higher costs are already showing up across the region. Many firms report paying more for inputs and passing those increases on to customers, complicating Republican efforts to respond to a broader affordability crisis.
Farmers have been hit from two sides. Import taxes have pushed up the cost of equipment, fertilizer, and other essentials. At the same time, China, the United States’ third-largest trading partner, temporarily halted purchases of American soybeans in May before resuming them last month. The pause was retaliation for Trump’s tariffs, now set at 20%, according to the tariff tracker.
That disruption may have lasting consequences, particularly for soybean growers in Ohio. Analysts warn that the uncertainty encourages China to deepen trade ties with Brazil, another major producer. Trump has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, in retaliation for the imprisonment of an authoritarian president who attempted a coup, adding another layer of complexity to global agricultural markets.
Read More: Farmers Squeezed by Prices and Politics Get a $12 Billion Promise from Trump
Trade with China had already become unstable during Trump’s first term. Farm Flavor, an agriculture-focused media organization, described the shift bluntly in a report released Tuesday.
“Over the past decade, the flow of American agricultural goods to China has shifted from reliable seasonality to stark volatility,” the report said.
It added that exports once followed predictable patterns until the 2018 trade war, rebounded after the Phase One agreement, and peaked again through 2022. But conditions changed sharply as Brazil posted record harvests in 2023 and China moved to “de-risk” its supply chains.
“By 2025, these forces combined with a renewed trade war converged into a full collapse,” the report said. According to Farm Flavor’s analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture data, U.S. agricultural exports to China fell by more than half in the first eight months of 2025. Ohio ranked as the 13th hardest-hit state, with soybean farmers suffering the most, losing 85% of their China-bound exports.
While Trump announced a $12 billion bailout for farmers last week, critics note that agricultural trade with China is down $17 billion this year alone, far exceeding the relief on offer and raising questions about how lasting the damage may be.
READ NEXT
- Teacher of the Year accused of having a sexual relationship with former student
- ‘They See Me as a Traitor’ Mexican American Mother says her family Cut Ties after she Voted for Trump
- Pro-Trump Voter says ICE Detained her Husband During Green Card Interview forcing them to Leave the US
- Six immigration officers charged after allegedly stealing cash from small boat migrants at dover
- Candace Owens drops alleged audio of Erika Kirk five days after husband’s assassination