SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — Farmers in Sussex County are in the midst of soybean harvest season, but this year, their crops may not travel as far as they once did.
China — the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans — has stopped purchasing from American producers following tariffs implemented under the Trump administration. The shift has left local farmers adjusting to a changing market and lower prices.
The U.S. typically ships nearly 25 million metric tons of soybeans to China per year, according to the American Soybean Association.
The U.S. typically ships nearly 25 million metric tons of soybeans to China per year, according to the American Soybean Association.
Derek Wells, a farmer for Milton Farms Inc, said many of his soybeans are used locally, but the loss of Chinese imports has still made an impact.
“The tariffs make a big difference in the grain prices to a degree, but the tariffs also make a difference in everything we buy,” said Wells. “We buy tires, we buy metal, we buy steel, we buy machinery. It affects all that.”
Wells said business is a gamble day to day.
“We’ve been in business for quite a while, and that’s pretty much all you can do is ride the highs and suffer through the lows. It’s basically all you do to get through one year to the next.”