US election: Battleground state of Iowa weighs trade war tariff pain against Donald Trump bailout gain

Small farms, local factories, farm equipment sellers and retailers ineligible for a federal bailout have been hit hard, undercutting some of Trump’s support

‘The tariffs hit me right in the stomach. But between the trade deficit and intellectual property theft … this isn’t fair,’ says a sixth-generation Iowa farmer

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A supporter waves an American flag as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks during a drive-in campaign rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Friday. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Published: 10:38pm, 31 Oct 2020Updated: 9:16am, 4 Nov 2020

Suzanne Shirbroun bounds up the five steps of her oversized, climate-controlled, stereo-equipped tractor and gazes out at her fields of soy and corn. Three-quarters of the harvest is in and, if the snows hold off, the rest will land by early November. Despite taking a huge hit from the US-China trade war, she also hopes Iowa and the nation will land a victory for President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

“The tariffs hit me right in the stomach. I was willing to go along with it for a while, then it went on and on,” said Shirbroun, whose family has farmed this area for six generations. “But between the trade deficit and intellectual property theft – you know there was a Chinese national caught in a field a couple of hours south of here trying to steal our seed technology – this isn’t fair.”

“This administration has come through for us,” she added. “In every war there are casualties, and I just hope we’re not one.”

As Americans vote in the most contentious presidential election in memory, amid volatile commodity prices and Trump’s still unfulfilled pledge to “reshore” US factory jobs, this Midwestern farm state has emerged as a key battleground.

Trump won Iowa handily in 2016, but polls show a toss-up this year as he, Vice-President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Joe Biden descend on the state in the final days to make their case.

Despite its landlocked geography, Iowa keeps a keen eye on China. Former governor Terry Branstad was the US ambassador in Beijing until he announced in September, without explanation, that he was resigning. And most farmers can detail China’s daily soy and corn purchases, battle against swine fever and shortfall in meeting purchase commitments under December’s phase one trade deal.