President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies have created uncertainty and opportunity across America’s heartland as farmers and small business owners grapple with the effects of his administration’s tariff decisions in his first 100 days.
According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, 53% of Americans believe the economy has deteriorated since Trump took office, with 72% expressing concern that his economic policies could trigger a recession.
The impact of these policies is playing out dramatically in two very different sectors of the American economy: agriculture and fishing.
In Racine, Wisconsin, where farming roots run deeper than the Civil War, soybean farmers are watching the trade war with growing anxiety. Kevin Malchine, whose family has worked the same land for six generations, described the current situation as “unsettled.”
“We deal with floods and droughts and too hot, too cold, insects, weeds, all those things,” Malchine says. “It feels like tariffs are a little bit harder to deal with because it’s entirely out of our control.”
The stakes are particularly high for soybean farmers. Last year, Malchine says China purchased 42% of America’s soybean production, representing nearly $13 billion in sales to American farmers. With Trump’s implementing a 145% tariff on Chinese products and China’s retaliatory 125% tariff on American goods, including soybeans, farmers like Malchine face an uncertain future.
“These markets have been created over decades, multiple administrations, and here he’s trying to fix that in 100 days or 200 days,” Malchine explains. “This is going to have a major impact.”
The solution isn’t as simple as switching crops, according to Malchine. “I know some people think, well, just raise a different crop,” Malchine says. “That’s a big shift to turn when you’re talking about Midwest ag production, corn, soybeans and what we do. That would take years and years to change what we’d do.”
While farmers brace for impact, some small business owners have found opportunities in the trade war’s upheaval. In Charleston, South Carolina, shrimpers like Rocky Magwood told ABC that they see potential benefits from the tariffs.
“The tariffs, it’s great that they’re there for now. To bring awareness,” said Magwood, who has been on shrimp boats since he was six weeks old with his dad.
In an industry where 94% of shrimp consumed in America is imported, local shrimpers have struggled to compete with lower-priced imports.
The impact has been devastating on the local industry, according to Magwood, who said when he started, “there was 100 boats on Shim Creek. There’s six of us now. However, recent developments have brought hope. “South Carolina wild-caught shrimp, we don’t even have any in the freezer, we sold out,” he said.
As the Trump administration navigates a 90-day pause in tariffs for most countries except China, the consequences of these policies continue to ripple through the economy. Major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot, have warned the White House that continued tariffs could lead to empty store shelves.
Back in Wisconsin, Malchine remains cautiously realistic about the future.
“The impact is coming, and it will have a real impact as time goes on,” he says. “If you really want to know what the impact is, come and visit me six months from now or next year.”
Despite the uncertainty, he maintains the resilience characteristic of American farmers, “There’s been times where we faced big time adversity. It gives you faith and confidence that you’re going to be able to weather this storm. And hopefully it’s sooner rather than later that we get a resolution.”
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