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Past Is Prologue: Missourians Are Feeling the Misery Of Tariffs

Missouri exports more than $14 billion annually across diverse industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, chemicals and healthcare. The state boasts the 21st largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the country. Unfortunately, new tariffs threaten to derail the state’s economic future – putting jobs in peril and increasing the cost of goods for families.

In President Trump’s first term, the “Show Me” State got a preview of how tariffs affect businesses and consumers, as Missouri saw jobs lost and significant pain to agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Now, consumers are gearing up for increased tariffs that will impact every industry, costing American households as much as $3800 on average in consumer losses.

Show-Me State families are keeping their pocketbooks close and budgets tight as prices are set to rise.

Tariff Impact On Missouri During President Trump’s First Term
  • Due to tariff uncertainties, many Missouri companies lost employees amid sale struggles. One of the largest nail manufacturers in the United States, based in Missouri, lost 200 employees. (St. Louis Public Radio, 1/2/19)
  • McDonald County in Missouri was hardest hit counties in the nation, as one-third of the county’s jobs were at risk due to tariffs in President Trump’s first term. (Springfield News-Leader, 7/10/18)
  • President Trump’s first-term tariffs put soybeans – Missouri’s largest cash crop with more than $7.7 billion in total output – at risk as more than half of all Missouri soybeans are exported, mostly to China. (Missouri Farm Bureau, 4/6/18)
  • Some estimated that tariffs cost Missouri taxpayers $454 million in 2018 and 2019. (Tariffs Hurt The Heartland, 11/19)
Tariff Impact On Missouri Today
  • Small businesses that rely on steel and aluminum, such as bike shops, are concerned prices could increase up to 80% for Missouri consumers. (St. Louis Public Radio, 4/8/25)
  • Missouri’s largest export partners are Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany and China. All have been hit with significant tariffs, which will gravely impact Missouri producers and consumers. (Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, 2024)
  • Canada imported more than $6 billion in Missouri goods, which are at risk due to President Trump’s tariffs. The largest exports to Canada include agricultural products, fish, glass or glass products, iron and steel. (Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, 2024)
  • Missouri agricultural exports in the Western Hemisphere alone are worth over $2 billion and will be hit hard by reciprocal tariffs. (First Alert 4, 3/4/25)
What Missourians Are Saying About Tariffs Today
  • Nicolas Ziebarth, Economics Professor, University of Missouri: “Prices can adjust quite quickly. I think people will be seeing the effects of these tariffs sooner rather than later. How that then spreads out and affects the whole macroeconomy and the labor market, that will take some time.” (13 KRCG, 4/5/25)
  • Michael Weiss, Missouri Small Business Owner, Big Shark Bicycle Company: “I don’t think manufacturers and our brands are going to be marking up the tariff, but they’re definitely going to be passing on the tariff to us.” (St. Louis Public Radio, 4/8/25)
  • Jamey Stegmaier, Co-Founder, Stonemaier Games: “The manufacturing costs went from $10 to effectively $15, and that has broad repercussions. Even at its baseline, that is just a huge increase in costs that we now have to deal with … And so for that $5 increase in cost due to the tariff, the increase in cost to a customer could increase by as much as $25.” (St. Louis Public Radio, 4/8/25)
  • Dennis Clay, General Manager, Le Bao Asian Eatery and Bar: “We’re just kind of bracing for impact. We do about 45% imported business. You can’t really make Asian food, without Asian ingredients.” (13 KRCG, 4/5/25)
  • Bryant Kagay, Part Owner, Kagay Farmers: “I don’t have a lot of faith that these tariffs – the way they are laid out today – will stick around long term. I really hate that seems to be the solution that, well, we’ll just pay farmers some just off-the-cuff payment to help offset this. I think a federal government that’s vastly overspending today, like this is not the way to solve that problem.” (The Associated Press, 4/4/25)
What Missourians Said About Tariffs During President Trump’s First Term
  • Chris Pratt, General Operations Manager, Mid Continent Steel and Wire: “We are suffering. Our company is losing money every month, our employment is down 200 employees since June, and our sales are off 60%.” (St. Louis Public Radio, 1/2/19)
  • Kalena Bruce, Farmer in Stockton, Missouri: “It’s not even a specific tariff, it’s the tariff talk. It kills our market. We are depending on them to put a safety net in place for us. Otherwise, you’re going to see family farms dropping like flies.” (Springfield News-Ledger, 7/15/18)
  • Missouri Farm Bureau: “Fortunately we could still avoid this needless and counterproductive trade war. President Trump’s proposed tariffs are not scheduled to go into effect until early June. Hopefully, President Trump’s negotiation efforts will succeed and he will gain enough concessions to deescalate this trade war. If not, Missouri’s economy could be in a world of hurt.” (Missouri Farm Bureau, 4/6/18)