On the Farm, Trump’s Tariffs Are Still Causing Misery

John Bartman is a fifth-generation farmer whose family has been farming in Illinois since 1846. He works 900 acres in Illinois, running a largely row-crop vegetable and grain operation. Bartman was hit hard by President Donald Trump’s policies: A federal sustainability program he relied on was cut, and tariffs on China sent soybean prices plunging so low that Bartman couldn’t break even. The result wasn’t protection for American farmers, he said. It was the rapid erosion of markets they had spent decades building.

Bartman has become an outspoken voice about the effects of tariffs and trade tension on farmers. After the Supreme Court struck down the president’s most sweeping tariffs on Friday, I asked Bartman about the ruling’s possible impact, including how much of the damage he has seen can be undone. His responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Rupa Subramanya: How do you see things going forward under President Trump?

John Bartman: He is going to keep his plan of tariffs as long as he can, and at least the Supreme Court stood up and gave a positive ruling. Congress has been very complicit. Until these guys are voted out of office, we’re going to have to deal with him, and I am very cautious. Farmers want certainty, and you just never know what you’re gonna get.

I’m just really upset with Trump. Every freaking day, my stress level is up. Look at what he’s doing to the White House and all that horrible gold leaf on everything and tearing down half of the White House to put up this ballroom, and just the amount of money that they are just wasting and wasting.

RS: How did the tariffs on China affect your soybean business?

JB: We saw it right away on the Chicago Board of Trade. Prices dropped sharply. The University of Illinois estimated that farmers would lose about $100 an acre.

China had already invested heavily in Brazil and Argentina after the first trade war. So when tariffs hit again, they just shifted purchases there. Our breakeven is around $12 a bushel—and prices were dropping toward $9. We don’t set prices. We’re price takers. And suddenly, a huge chunk of our market disappeared.

RS: What did you make of the Trump administration giving $20 billion in aid to Argentina last October at the same time China was shifting soybean