The president continues to push tariffs as a tactic toward his vision of “fair” trade. Reporting for Carolina Journal, Julie Havlak looks into the impact of the trade dispute with China on North Carolina .

As the trade dispute with China picks up, bigger farms in North Carolina are scrambling to cope with a shrinking market of customers.

U.S. agriculture relies heavily on exporting its products overseas, where China is the world’s fastest-growing market and foreign consumers help keep farms in business.

North Carolina is a growing part of the international market, but access to that market is now in peril. After President Donald Trump announced his latest tariffs, China joined Canada, Mexico, and the European Union in hitting back against the president.

The blow of the tariffs will fall hard on farmers. Beginning July 6, China’s tariffs will hit 659 types of goods, including tobacco, soybeans, and pork — all staple agricultural exports from N.C.

Separate from Julie’s reporting on the trade issue, John Locke Foundation researchers have for months pointed out the negative impact of trying to control the marketplace.