WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING: Reckless Tariffs Backed By Husted Could Crush Ohio Soybean Farmers

October 7, 2025

“China hasn’t purchased a single bushel of this year’s harvest”

Columbus, Ohio — Ohio farmers are warning that the reckless tariffs Jon Husted supports are threatening to devastate their livelihoods and put the state’s multibillion-dollar soybean industry at risk.

New front-page reporting from the Cleveland Plain Dealer details how “farmers across the state [are] anxiously wondering when things might change” as the tariffs backed by Husted drive away Chinese buyers and create a mounting crisis across rural Ohio.

Last week, during an interview with Spectrum News Columbus, Husted deflected blame for the consequences of the tariffs and refused to take responsibility for failing Ohio farmers.

See for yourself:

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio Soybean Farmers are Being Left Out to Dry

In a typical year, China buys 25% to 30% of the U.S. soybean crop, but this is not a typical year.

Embroiled in a trade war with the United States, China hasn’t purchased a single bushel of this year’s harvest, according to Kirk Merritt, executive director of the Ohio Soybean Association, and that has farmers across the state anxiously wondering when things might change.

Ohio ranks from fifth to seventh in soybean production among states, depending on the year, Merritt said, with the largest concentration of farmers in the northwest quadrant of the state.

In most years, China would have already pre-booked billions of dollars in soybean orders from the United States, he said.

“I think it’s an effort on their part to not buy our beans as part of the negotiation process,” Merritt said. “I think they’ve probably stated that.”

What really galls farmers is that Argentina temporarily waived certain taxes on its soybean exports, making them more attractive to Chinese buyers, just before President Donald Trump decided the U.S. government would provide Argentina with a $20 billion financial aid package.

“It’s hard for Ohio soybean farmers to swallow that just a day after Argentina maneuvered to supplant our market share in China, the Trump Administration announced it will send taxpayer money to Argentina to prop up its failing economy,” Ohio Soybean Association President Rusty Goebel said recently in a written statement.

“The most active farmers I think are talking with their elected officials about improving export demand in whatever way they can,” Richer said.

Merritt said that if China does not start buying U.S. soybeans soon, it could place economic stress on farmers, necessitating financial support from the federal government.

“We continue to speak out and advocate for a trade deal that will benefit farmers,” Merritt said, “but the urgency is increasing every day.”

WATCH: Sen. Husted Dodges Responsibility for Tariffs Crushing Ohio Soybean Farmers

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