Soybeans have been a top U.S. ag export for decades. What happens when the top buyer stops buying?
Farmer Tyler Stafslien stands in front of storage silos holding grain and soybeans in Ryder, North Dakota on Nov. 14, 2025. The tariff war with China forced Stafslien to store more of his soybeans this harvest season. Photo: Gabrielle Nelson/Buffalo’s Fire
The Trump administration has announced $12 billion in relief for farmers but that won’t cover all their losses.
Tyler Stafslien is a fourth-generation farmer who’s worked his family’s land in central North Dakota for about 20 years. Roughly half of his 2,500 acres are typically dedicated to soybeans, a major crop in the state and in the Mississippi River Basin. But growing soybeans has become less …
