NORTH CAROLINA -- North Carolina farmers are feeling the pinch as the international trade fight continues. One agriculture leader is questioning how much longer some farmers will be able to hold on.

• The U.S. and China have ratcheted up tariffs on a variety of products and crops, ranging from steel to soybeans.
• With the 2020 election just around the corner, the Trump campaign remains confident they are not going to lose support from the farming community.
• The Trump administration says they are working on another aid package to help farmers, following up on last year’s $12 billion plan.

In Nashville, NC, the tariff fight is amounting to a gut punch to farmer Jeff Tyson’s bottom line.

“We’re caught up in the middle,” Tyson said. “The expenses are still the same, but the amount of income is way less.”

Tyson grows tobacco, soybeans, and a host of other crops on his farm -- many of them have become targets of the ongoing tit-for-tat between the United States and China. “Soybeans went from $14 down to $7. The yields are still the same, but income is half,” he said.

The U.S.-China trade fight is now more than a year old. During that time, both sides have ratcheted up tariffs on a variety of products and crops, ranging from steel to soybeans.

With the 2020 election just around the corner, the Trump campaign remains confident they are not going to lose support from the farming community.

“Farmers understand the long game,” said Kayleigh McEnany, a spokeswoman for the Trump team. “They understand that China’s been taking advantage of us: intellectual property theft, incredible burdens that they’ve placed on our own manufacturers of products."

However, in a recent interview on Spectrum’s Capital Tonight, the head of the North Carolina Farm Bureau suggested the status quo of ramped up tariffs is not sustainable.

“A lot of our farmers may not make it to the long-term gain because the short-term pain is so bad,” said Larry Wooten, president of the NC Farm Bureau.

Talks between China and the United States deteriorated in recent weeks, culminating in a new round of tariffs. While work is underway to salvage those negotiations, the Trump administration says they are working on another aid package to help farmers, following up on last year’s $12 billion plan.

Tyson said he understands the need for the trade fight, arguing the old trade arrangements the U.S. had were unfair. Even so, he is calling on leaders in Washington to wrap up negotiations soon.

“It’s tough on the farm right now. Hurry up, put something together,” he said.

The trade dispute comes on the heels of a rough few years for the farming community. Many are still recovering after Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.