How Iowans feel about Trump's tariffs, Canada's treatment as Republicans vie for support

This weekend, hundreds of thousands of people are attending the Iowa State Fair — a major attraction featuring several days of entertainment, a rodeo and even a life-size butter cow that's been carved every year since 1911.

Much like the Calgary Stampede in Canada, the Iowa State Fair is a crucial stop for politicians to meet voters, making it a hotbed for political debates — especially when U.S. midterms are coming up.

And this year, one of the topics on Iowans' minds is U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

"This policy has been very chaotic, and our farmers have struggled to figure out what's going on," said Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation family farmer and president of the Iowa Farmers Union.

"If we were getting to a situation that meant fairer trade eventually for farmers, I think farmers would understand that sometimes it's necessary to go through some pain. But we're not seeing us getting any closer.

"We've lost many international customers of ours who no longer see us as reliable trade partners and they're going to countries where they have a more predictable trade policy, more reasonable trade policy."

For farmers like Lehman, that economic pain may reach another level in just a few days. Canada is Iowa's largest export market, accounting for 30 per cent of the state's total goods exports in 2025, according to the U.S. government .

But that key trading relationship could be upended on Aug. 19, if Trump imposes his threatened 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian goods. The two countries are working over the weekend to secure a trade deal, but it so far remains out of reach .

Lehman told CBC News he's trying to bring his son into his farm's operations, but with so much economic chaos it's difficult to plan any kind of succession. Instead, he's had to hunker down and focus on getting the next crop planted and harvested.

Other farmers who spoke to CBC News in Iowa also expressed concern about Trump's economic agenda, especially toward Canada.

Jack Ploen, who farms about 80 hectares in Avoca, Iowa, said Canada is "our most valuable partner in the world and in the trading sector."

"I'm a Republican, but I think Donald went too far in some of the things he does," Ploen said. "And he's pushed a lot of people away. A lot of countries are standoffish with us because of his policies. I support some of what he does, but not everything."

Lehman said Trump's economic policies are damaging his relationship with Iowa farmers, and it's showing up in political polling ahead of the midterm elections in November.

During the last gubernatorial race in 2022, the Republican candidate Kim Reynolds beat the Democratic challenger by more than 200,000 votes. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won the state by a similar margin — a huge victory.