CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Farmers along the Coastal Bend are feeling the sting of China’s new 84% tariff on key U.S. agricultural exports, a blow that could cost the region millions.
The Port of Corpus Christi exports an estimated $1.25 billion in soybeans, $600 million in cotton, $550 million in corn and $330 million in sorghum to China each year. But as trade tensions escalate, those numbers are under threat.
Bobby Nedbalek, a local sorghum farmer, said he’s weathered bad markets before.
"It’s not unusual to face a bad market," Nedbalek said. "We just have to be prepared." Nedbalek plans to store his crop and wait for prices to rebound.
Other farmers, like Jon Whatley, say the impact of the tariffs has already hit hard.
"I’ve seen a rapid decrease in my commodity value due to tariffs," Whatley said. "It’s hard to be profitable with high costs."
Texas A&M AgriLife Director of North American Studies Luis Iribera said the damage can’t be reversed quickly.
"You can’t just change your crop overnight," Iribera said. "You make a decision, and you live with it."
While U.S. consumers benefit from low food prices, due to low tariffs—spending just 6.7% of disposable income on food, compared to 25% in countries like Mexico—Iribera warns that increased tariffs could disrupt that balance.
"Less tariffs are better for everyone," he said.
As the global trade battle continues, local farmers are left to adapt. For many, like Nedbalek, resilience is the only option.
"I've been in this business for a long time, there's always a reason to panic on the farm, but we're not panicking, we'll ride this out, just like we have before," he said.
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