Unless revoked or substantially reduced from the newly negotiated 30% for 90 days, President Donald Trump’s China tariff will still wipe out the investments made in our small family business and kill our manufacturing plant here in Boise. When I talk to my friends and neighbors about the continuing uncertainty, I hear similar expressions of frustration about the impact of tariffs on American businesses.

For decades, my husband has specialized in producing high-quality health products, from protein or energy powders to supplements with vitamins and custom ingredients. We sold our products in the United States, but as the market became saturated, we exported to Poland, Brazil, Thailand and Australia. Margins were tight, but we paid above-average wages to the four employees we depend on.

A few weeks ago, a Chinese company requested products from us that it was unable to make. Despite the trade war, many Chinese consumers prefer American foods and supplements because they view them as superior in quality. But Trump’s changing tariffs killed the idea — 145% tariff coming in, 125% tariff when exported.

That wiped out the profit we needed and seemed certain to put us out of business.

Agriculture in Idaho now faces similar problems of survival, especially because of tariff uncertainty. Economist Brett Wilder of the University of Idaho told Boise State Public Radio: “We’re in this window where people are deciding what crops they’re going to plant. People have to make that decision right now and live with that decision through the rest of the year, even if something changes next week.”

Idaho ranks third in the U.S. in dairy production and grows two-thirds of sweet corn seed worldwide, along with potatoes, wheat — 50% of which is exported — onions, food trout and barley.

In 2018, Trump added tariffs for China, and China reduced its purchases of American soybeans, corn and pork, mostly grown in the Midwest. Many farmers lost their land, while others received some of the $23 billion in subsidies that the first Trump administration doled out, courtesy of taxpayers.

But, as any farmer will tell you, they would rather grow food than take welfare.

It’s been hard to keep track of which tariffs are on and which are off, but Trump has eased many tariffs from most countries, including Mexico and Canada, for 90 days. Yet he initially increased tariffs on most Chinese products, causing China to retaliate. Negotiations resulted in both countries reducing their escalation tariffs to 30% and 10% respectively. But business with China won’t be rational again until the trade war ends.

Even though Mexico and Canada receive the greatest share of Idaho’s farm products, in 2022 China accounted for 8% of Idaho’s agricultural exports, or $231.2 million. Our biggest ag export to China is whey from Idaho’s dairy farms. These new tariffs will hurt.

President Trump has offered varying justifications for imposing tariffs on some 90 countries around the world, now “paused,” but his basic explanation is that they will “bring manufacturing back home.” That will take time.

Meanwhile, I’ve been calling and writing my Idaho members of Congress: Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, and Congressman Mike Simpson, all Republicans. I ask them to stand up for my family, other Idaho families, and our farmers.

As for my family, without our Idaho-based manufacturing company, three generations of my family will be scrambling to keep our homes.

Crista V. Worthy is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit. She writes in Idaho.