Wisconsin Farms Lost Over $33 Million in Exports to China

Thursday, December 11th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Farm Flavor) A new analysis from Farm Flavor sheds light on the scale of agricultural losses that led the White House this week to announce a $12 billion bailout for American farmers.

While 2025’s renewed U.S.–China trade tensions have been widely reported, the full extent of the economic damage has been harder to quantify. Using the latest USDA Foreign Agricultural Service data, Farm Flavor analyzed how deeply exports to China have fallen and which states and products have been hit the hardest.

The numbers help explain why emergency federal support was deemed necessary, and they provide a benchmark for evaluating whether the new $12 billion aid package is enough.

Key Takeaways, With Data for Wisconsin

• China’s role in U.S. agriculture: In 2024, China imported $24.4 billion in U.S. agricultural products, nearly 14% of total U.S. agricultural exports, making it the country’s largest agricultural trade partner outside North America.
• Sharp decline in 2025: From January through August 2025, U.S. agricultural exports to China fell by 54% compared to the same period in 2024, amounting to a $7.4 billion year-over-year loss.
• The Impact on Wisconsin Agriculture: Wisconsin saw agricultural exports to China fall by $33.3M between January and August 2025, a 20.5% drop compared to the same period in 2024.
• Most negatively impacted product: Overall, dairy products was the most negatively affected commodity in Wisconsin during the study period, with shipments falling 16% year over year, representing a substantial portion of the state’s total export losses.

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