Ohio farmers fear long trade war, face uncertainty, rising costs

Sherrod Brown would be fighting for the farmers but of course my state cast him aside in favor of a Trump ass kisser. And Mike de Wine appointed Ass Kisser Husted to the Senate as well.



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Ohio's corn and soybean farmers are particularly concerned.

The state exported about $2.3 billion in soybeans and $771 million in corn in 2022, the most recent data available, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Merritt said China remains one of the largest importers of soybeans, even as the industry tries to diversify and establish a footprint in Vietnam, Egypt and Indonesia.

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said those new markets along with fewer regulations and lower energy costs will help farmers as the U.S. reduces its dependence on China. Both he and Sen. Jon Husted are staunch backers of Trump and contend his trade policies will encourage companies to manufacture more products in America.

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The other elephants in the room are Canada and Mexico.

The neighboring countries are major trading partners for Ohio and the top buyers of U.S. corn and ethanol, said Tadd Nicholson, executive director of Ohio Corn and Wheat. Much of Ohio's corn goes to in-state ethanol plants and livestock feed, but a strong trade market affects prices and whether farmers here can succeed, Nicholson said.

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The corn and soybean industries also rely on Canada for fertilizer. Trump imposed a 10% tariff on potash, a key nutrient for fertilizer, along with a 25% tariff on imports that don't comply with the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement. Moreno said the tariffs aim to pressure Canada and Mexico to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.

But fertilizer costs were already increasing before the tariffs came down, Nicholson said, making it harder for farmers to profit.

"We count on trade to bring in fertilizer," Nicholson said. "It's plant food. We can't live without it, can't have a crop without it."

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/22/bernie-moreno-jon-husted-trump-tariffs-trade-war-ohio-farmers/83015017007/?utm_source=dispatch-ohio-politics-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=baseline&utm_term=hero&utm_content=ncod-columbus-nletter10#