As a crow flies, the Natchez area is approximately 1,500 miles from Washington, D.C., and more than 11,000 miles from Beijing, China.

But make no mistake; a looming trade war between the two countries potentially could have collateral damage here at home.

A tit-for-tat, back and forth between the two nations has focused new attention on our area’s agriculture after China announced plans this week to slap a 25-percent tariff on U.S. soybean imports.

China knows how to play tough, since the U.S. is the No. 1 source of soybeans for China.

Our community, particularly Concordia Parish, has long been deeply tied to agriculture. Farming is big business here, and its financial impact significant.

Whether the tariffs will be implemented or if they’re merely part of a well-orchestrated negotiating process has yet to be determined.

But for area farmers, the concerns ahead could be substantial.

If China moves forward with the tariffs and further decides to purchase more soybeans from other nations such as Brazil and Argentina.

Farming and the men and women who work in the field are incredibly important to our community and to our nation as a whole.

We hope the trade disputes are settled soon. Farmers face many uncertainties, such as fickle weather. The last thing they need is another potential problem looming overhead.

If the tariffs do come, however, we believe in the intelligence and resilience of the American farmer and know they can weather any potential trade storm ahead.