The Great American Isolation

A new era in U.S economic policy

The U.S. is pulling inward. Immigration restrictions are choking the flow of global talent, while trade barriers are reshaping markets. Together, these policies are creating what I’d call the Great American Isolation. This new policy framework poses a threat to our economy today and undermines our ability to innovate tomorrow.

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Farmers Feel It First

Marketplace Radio recently reported that China has stopped buying American soybeans, cutting U.S. farmers off from one of their largest export markets. Agriculture is often the first domino to fall when trade slows.

In western Kansas, farmers like Vance and Louise Ehmke are living this reality. They grow wheat, corn, and sorghum. Historically, China bought 80–90% of U.S. sorghum exports. Sorghum is popular in China, not only for livestock feed but also for the production of Baijiu, a traditional Chinese spirit. Now, because of retaliatory tariffs, China buys none, and they are shifting their source of supply.

In western Kansas, grain elevators are overflowing with last year’s crop, and this year’s harvest has no home. Prices have collapsed to levels farmers haven’t seen in 40 years. Vance captured the frustration plainly: “We’re getting our butts kicked—we are not winning this thing.”

Trade Wars Change Behaviors

When I spoke to a group of manufacturing managers last week, I warned about the false assumption underlying current U.S. trade policy: that our partners will tolerate whatever restrictions we impose. They won’t; they will build new partnerships.

Vance and Louise have already seen how quickly behaviors shift. China has rerouted its grain purchases to Australia, Brazil, and Africa. These are not temporary adjustments. They are long-term supply chain investments that deliberately bypass the United States.

The personal costs are mounting. The demise of programs like USAID’s Food for Peace has closed another outlet for Kansas grain. Farmers face storage shortages, crop spoilage, and mounting debt. Louise summed it up: “Farmers cut back on everything. The outlook is grim, and bankruptcies are continuing.”