A trade war appears to be looming between the United States and China, and many in Iowa are concerned about the potential impact on the state’s economy.

In response to tariffs levied against them by President Donald Trump, China recently announced a 25% tariff increase on many imports from the U.S., including pork, beef, and soybeans. Iowa’s economy is tied closely to each of those products, and China is presently the state’s number one foreign trade partner. The concern felt by Iowans is not lost on representatives in Washington D.C., as U.S. Senator Charles Grassley says he has attempted to warn the President of the impact a trade war could have on his state.

“When a country retaliates, they usually retaliate first of all against agricultural products. And a concern that we have, for a country that produces about a third more of the food than we consume domestically, it’s very important that we are able to export freely. Free trade benefits agriculture maybe more than it does other segments of the economy, because in agriculture we have a positive trade balance with all other countries on the exports that we have of agricultural products.”

Grassley adds, he doesn’t want to discourage the President if he feels he can get a better deal for the country under its trade agreements. However, he warns that it’s a dangerous area to venture into, and he and many other Iowans are nervous of the fallout of the tariffs.