A new report from the John Locke Foundation warns that aggressive U.S. tariffs could have a major impact on North Carolina’s farm economy and rural communities.
Authored by Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman of NC State University, the study estimates that reduced agricultural exports could cost state farmers around $695 million—about a third of their average yearly net income.
The ripple effects could be severe, with nearly 3,000 direct agriculture and forestry jobs lost, plus additional losses in food processing, manufacturing, and transportation.
Altogether, about 8,000 North Carolina jobs could be at risk.
Including indirect impacts, the report says economic losses could reach up to $1.9 billion, or more than 2% of the state’s GDP.
