After getting squeezed by a trade war that their own voting bloc helped create, West Texas farmers are now cautiously celebrating because China has finally started buying U.S. soybeans again. Tariffs imposed by Donald Trump sent soybean prices tumbling, froze exports, and left farmers praying for subsidies to survive. Now, after the U.S. and China agreed to dial back the very tariffs that caused the mess, prices may bounce back up to around $11.50 per bushel. Not great, not terrible — but better than the “Oops, guess we’ll take a government bailout again” numbers from last year.
David Gibson with the Texas Soybeans Board says the upward trend is good news and gives farmers “security” as they plan their acres. And sure, it is good news. But let’s be honest: this whole situation is like applauding someone for finally putting out the fire they set in your kitchen.
And here’s the weird part: many of the farmers who took the biggest hit are the same people who cheered the trade war on. West Texas reliably votes deep red, and MAGA branding is practically standard-issue farm attire. Yet the Trump-era tariffs — not China — directly tanked their markets. It’s a remarkable local tradition: voting for policies that kneecap your own livelihood, then acting grateful when someone finally stops stepping on your air hose.
Still, with soybeans trickling back to China, hope is cautiously creeping back across the plains. Prices aren’t where they were before the self-inflicted trade tantrum, but farmers are excited for any sign of recovery. And hey — maybe this year they’ll only need one government bailout instead of two.
If voting against your own economic interests were a crop, West Texas would have the highest yields in America.