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Iowa reaction to Supreme Court tariff ruling: Farmers cite losses, Republicans urge trade reset
Farmers cite lost markets and rising costs as business leaders push for stability in global trade
Feb. 20, 2026 4:34 pm, Updated: Feb. 20, 2026 4:57 pm
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Iowa farmers and business leaders say the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs underscores the need for stability in trade policy, while also amplifying concerns about the economic strain tariffs have placed on the state’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Iowa’s Republican members of Congress responded to the ruling by emphasizing the need for Congress to play a larger role in shaping trade policy, while continuing efforts to expand markets abroad and address unfair trade practices.
Democrats, meanwhile, argued the decision validates their criticism that tariffs have driven up costs and hurt Iowa’s economy, framing the issue as a central political fight ahead of the fall midterm elections.
Grassley: Congress needs to reassert its role over trade policy
Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the decision reinforces the need for Congress to reclaim its constitutional role over trade.
“Congress needs to reassert its constitutional role over commerce,” the Republican senator said in a statement.
Grassley said he has introduced legislation that would give Congress more oversight when tariffs are imposed, while still supporting administration efforts to expand market access and “restore fair, reciprocal trade agreements.”
“President Trump is a very skilled negotiator, and I want him to continue to be successful in expanding market access,” Grassley said, citing gains for U.S. agricultural exports in several countries.
“I urge the Trump administration to keep negotiating while also working with Congress to secure longer-term enforcement measures so we can provide expanded market opportunities and certainty for Iowa’s family farmers and businesses,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is not running for re-election this year, said in a statement Friday that “President Trump won’t allow foreign countries to rip off Americans and has already opened new markets for beef, soybeans, corn, and more.
“As he continues to fight for our Iowa farmers and small businesses after disastrous trade deficits under Biden, Congress can work with him to ensure Iowans get the best deal.”
Hinson defends trade approach, points to policy efforts
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Marion, who is running for U.S. Senate with Trump’s endorsement, defended the broader goals of the tariff policy and said her focus remains on delivering results for Iowa producers and families.
“President Trump is the first president to challenge the broken status quo and fight to level the playing field for American farmers, workers and businesses,” Hinson said in a statement. “My priority is making sure those efforts translate into real results for Iowa — new markets, enforceable agreements, and long-term certainty for our producers facing tight margins and high input costs.”
Hinson said she would continue supporting policies aimed at strengthening rural economies and lowering costs for families.
Her campaign argued farmers, manufacturers and working families are facing economic pressure driven by what it described as “decades of America-last policies,” and argued Hinson is working to expand trade opportunities, reduce input costs and increase take-home pay.
The campaign pointed to several legislative efforts, including measures to boost agricultural exports, strengthen enforcement against unfair trade practices and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. It also highlighted bills aimed at lowering input costs and expanding access to precision agriculture technology.
Hinson’s team also emphasized broader economic proposals, including tax relief, workforce training initiatives and efforts to expand access to child care and health savings accounts, saying those policies are intended to ease financial pressures on Iowa families.
The House Agriculture Committee is expected to take up a new Farm Bill next week, which the campaign said includes provisions aligned with some of Hinson’s priorities.
Miller-Meeks: Work in a bipartisan manner
Iowa U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa running for re-election to a fourth term this fall, pointed to the need for a long-term trade strategy.
“This decision makes one thing clear: Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to help shape U.S. trade policy,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement.
She emphasized the importance of addressing trade deficits and what she described as unfair practices by foreign competitors, while ensuring Iowa farmers and manufacturers have reliable access to global markets.
“America cannot continue operating at a disadvantage,” she said. “Iowa farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses need certainty and dependable access to global markets. We must strengthen our negotiating position, expand market access, and deliver lasting trade agreements that put Iowa and America first."
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who is running for governor, said Congress “must work with President Trump to hold foreign countries accountable for cheating America with their unfair trade practices and open new markets for our producers.”
“We need a fair trade system that protects our farmers, expands export opportunities, brings jobs to America, and strengthens our manufacturing industry — that is what President Trump and I are fighting for every day,” he said in a statement. “Foreign nations must play by the rules if they want to trade with Iowa and the United States.”
Business group calls for stability, certainty
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry, which represents major employers and manufacturers across the state, said the Supreme Court’s decision underscores the need for stability and predictability in trade policy.
“Iowa businesses — whether navigating trade, tax or regulatory policy — need certainty to plan, invest and compete in global markets,” ABI President Nicole Crain said in a statement. “Many Iowa companies export their products around the world and rely on predictable trade policy to continue competing and winning.”
Crain said the ruling highlights the complexity of trade policy and the importance of providing clarity moving forward.
“Providing clarity and stability will be essential to ensuring our manufacturers can grow and create jobs across the state,” she said.
At the same time, the group voiced support for continued efforts to address unfair trade practices and expand market access.
“We appreciate the administration’s continued focus on addressing unfair trade practices and pursuing trade agreements that put Iowa businesses on a level playing field with global competitors,” Crain said.
Democrats say ruling brings ‘relief’
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and state Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs framed the ruling as a rebuke of both the tariffs and Iowa’s congressional delegation.
“Ashley Hinson had four opportunities to check the president’s power and stop the chaotic tariffs that have hurt our Iowa farmers and driven up the cost of goods everywhere,” Turek said in a statement. “I’m glad Iowans will get some relief.”
Turek, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed Ernst as a U.S. senator, tied the issue directly to the campaign, arguing voters should hold Iowa Republicans accountable.
State Sen. Zach Wahls, a Coralville Democrat also running for U.S. Senate, echoed that message in a video posted to social media, arguing the tariffs “have been choking Iowa’s agricultural and manufacturing economy” while raising prices for families.
Wahls pointed to a recent announcement by Whirlpool — a major Iowa employer — shifting some jobs to Mexico as evidence the tariffs failed to achieve their intended goal of strengthening domestic manufacturing.
“The stated goals of the tariff policy have not been working,” Wahls said. “They have been making life more expensive, and they have actually been reducing the competitiveness of American manufacturing.”
The Iowa Democratic Party also sharply criticized the state’s all-Republican congressional delegation for having “consistently surrendered their responsibility as a co-equal branch of government” by voting to keep the tariffs in place, which Democrats argue have taken a toll on Iowa’s economy.
“Families saw prices spike at the grocery store, while farmers saw markets disappear and input costs skyrocket,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement
Iowa State Auditor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand said the Supreme Court’s decision provides “much-needed relief” for farmers and families who, he says, have been strained by tariff-related costs.
His campaign cited a report from the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee estimating the average Iowa family has paid $1,303 in higher costs due to tariffs, and research from the Kiel Institute suggesting most tariff costs are borne by American consumers and businesses rather than foreign companies.
Farmers: Tariffs have been a ‘kick to the teeth’
Frustration over trade policy has been building among Iowa farmers, some of whom spoke earlier this week during a virtual news conference organized by the Iowa Democratic Party.
Berleen Wobeter, a cattle rancher from Tama County, said the effects of tariffs from Trump’s first term continue to linger.
“The first Trump administration hurt us with tariffs that cost us valuable trade which never fully recovered, and here we are again,” Wobeter said.
She criticized Iowa’s Republican delegation for supporting tariffs and failing to pass a new Farm Bill, calling their response inadequate to what she described as a worsening farm economy.
“We can’t function in this chaos,” she said.
Ryan Marquardt, a Madison County cattle rancher, said ongoing trade disputes are compounding already thin margins.
“We just keep getting hammered by the trade issues that are just beating the tar out of us,” he said, warning that current policies could accelerate consolidation in agriculture and hollow out rural communities.
Dave Muhlbauer, a Crawford County cattle rancher, described tariffs as “a kick to the teeth,” pointing to rising input costs — such as fertilizer, parts and equipment — and lost export markets.
“It's very bleak for a lot of farmers,” Muhlbauer said. “We just need free and fair trade markets and a plan, and there is no plan. … It's like all of our concerns are going on deaf ears.”
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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