New tariffs brought on by the trade war between China and the United States are threatening some industries in Mississippi. MPB's Ashley Norwood has more.
The trade war between China and the U.S. is ramping up. Farmers in Mississippi say they are trying to stay afloat.
Mike McCormick is the president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau.
He says if another round of tariffs takes effect, it is a big unknown how much they will profit harvesting notable crops like soybeans and cotton. Hundreds of thousands of Mississippi crops have already been impacted by recent flood waters.
He says new tariffs are just another thing farmers have to worry about.
"Trying to get a crop in and then looking at the commodity prices that are being affected by these trade negotiations it's impacting their mental health. It's very stressful on farm country right now," said McCormick.
Not only are farmers threatened by the new tariffs, other industries in Mississippi could also be affected.
Jay Moon is president of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association.
He says there is a growing list of furniture products scheduled to carry the new 25 percent tariff to import goods coming in from China.
"There's a lot of recliners and motion related furniture that uses motors that are sourced in China. They source some of the cloth that covers the furniture and then also some of the leather that is actually canned and cut in China and then exported from China into the United state for the furniture industry," said Moon.
Moon says the tariffs also have prompted some companies in Mississippi to search for other suppliers for their products, outside of China, in case these trade disputes continue.
Ashley Norwood, MPB News.
