Chester County dairy farms have been caught in the crossfire of the Trump Administration’s tariff war as foreign governments come back with tariffs on products vital to states Trump won in the November election, writes Andrew Seidman and Lizzie Mulvey for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Among the sectors targeted for retaliation is the dairy industry, one of Pennsylvania’s most important. The state has the second-most dairy farms in the country, with many in Chester County depending on access to foreign markets. In 2023, Pennsylvania exported $364 million in dairy products.
“I’ll be honest, a large majority of the farmers voted for Trump,” said Rob Barley, a third-generation farmer in nearby Lancaster County. “So we’re kind of, wait and see what it looks like on the other side.”
Tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods have already been imposed by China and Canada, but Mexico – America’s top export market for dairy – remains the wild card. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum paused retaliatory 25 percent tariffs after Trump delayed levies on some goods.
However, Trump has vowed to proceed with tariffs in April. This raises the likelihood that Mexico and other trading partners will return with their own measures.
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