Farmers are on the frontlines of a trade war with China, as they were in his first administration, President Trump said in a social media post.

In the early morning post April 15, Trump called farmers “patriots” and recalled urging them to hang on as he negotiated a trade deal in 2020 with China.

“Our farmers are GREAT, but because of their GREATNESS, they are always put on the front line with our adversaries, such as China, whenever there is a Trade negotiation, or, in this case, a Trade War,” Trump wrote. “The USA will PROTECT OUR FARMERS!!!”

Trump’s post came a few hours after Bloomberg reported China had halted deliveries of Boeing jets. The president referred to the news in his post and also said China failed to live up to the 2020 trade deal. “China largely reneged on the deal (although they behaved during the Trump Administration), only buying a portion of what they agreed to buy,” Trump wrote.

After rounds of escalating tariffs, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. goods, while the U.S. tariff on most Chinese goods, excluding some electronics, stands at 145%.

Tariffs between the countries have soared past rates levied during the first Trump  administration. The USDA Economic Research Service estimated farmers lost $27 billion from mid-2018 to the end of 2019 as trading partners retaliated against 25% tariffs on steel and 10%  on aluminum. Reduced sales to China accounted for 95% of the losses.

The U.S. and China signed the 2020 trade agreement to lower trade barriers and increase Chinese purchases of U.S. products, including farm goods. Some agricultural groups said in comments last month to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that China has failed to follow the agreement and continues to put up non-tariff trade barriers.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, for example, complained that China committed to adopting a maximum residue level for ractopamine, a feed additive to promote leanness in cattle. China has used the detection of ractopamine to reject shipments of beef, according to the cattlemen’s association.

“This is a nonscience-based restriction that poses no risk to consumers, yet China is using ractopamine restrictions as a protectionist measure,” the cattlemen stated.

CropLife America, a trade group representing the pesticide industry, stated that while Chinese firms enjoy access to the U.S. market, American companies face obstacles in China.

A prime example, according to CropLife, is that China has not adopted an international standard for testing pesticides, effectively preventing U.S. companies from registering new pesticides in China.

“This along with other restrictive policies allows China to dominate the global market while placing American firms at a disadvantage,” according to CropLife.

Straightforward tariffs remain a problem for some U.S. farmers. The U.S. Cranberry Institute, writing before the recent escalating tariffs, said tariffs on frozen cranberries climbed to 62% from 15% during the first trade war and stayed there.

In 2024, the value of all U.S.cranberry products exported to China totaled $46 million. The Cranberry Institute estimated removing tariffs would increase sales by $25 million a year.

The U.S. exported $24.6 billion worth of farm goods to China in 2024, taking in about 14% of all exported U.S. agricultural products, according to the USDA.