Like a game of Tug-of-War, the United States and China are not giving up on the war on trade.
The fight is hurting local farmers, especially after China made its latest announcement. China is now cutting ties from buying any agricultural products from the U.S.
That decision comes after President Trump vowed to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods starting September 1.
Lonoke farmer Rick Bransford is holding on to his livelihood.
“The rhetoric we've been getting saying farmers are doing great— no, that’s not true,” said Bransford.
Here lately, the fear for his future only grows as the trade war escalates.
"This announcement from China is definitely a body blow for our ranchers and farmers,” said Randy Veach, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “They were concentrating on soy beans and some of those other commodities, but now it's everything.”
Bransford said the "Bransford Ag Partnership" isn't ready to give up, although he's dropped prices 15% for soybeans and up to 35% for cotton in the last year.
"I believe china produces about 80% of all our clothes in the U.S.,” said Bransford. “I got hit hard on cotton.”
President Trump has designated billions of dollars for farmers impacted by the trade war, but Bransford said that money is like covering a hole with a band-aid on an innertube, continuously blowing air into it. He said it’s eventually going to pop.
"This could be considered as the pop,” said Veach.
Veach said until a trade agreement is made, Arkansas farmers will continue to suffer and quite possibly end business.
And as the war on tariffs continues, the impact will trickle down to not only farmers, but the economy.
“Agriculture is bringing in over 20 billion dollars to our state's economy every year. It is a huge economic engine,” said Veach. “It's going to affect our everyday workers out there, those that are on the jobs."