U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has joined with U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Representative David Rouzer (R-N.C.-07) in urging President Trump to address the needs of American tobacco farmers during upcoming trade talks with China. In a bipartisan letter, the legislators asked the president to prioritize flue-cured tobacco in negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The letter highlights concerns about challenges facing U.S. tobacco growers, such as ensuring they qualify for any future tariff relief programs and protecting domestic markets from cheaper foreign-grown tobacco.
The lawmakers wrote, “American flue-cured tobacco is world-renowned for its high quality, traceability, and compliant production. Foreign countries are willing to pay a premium for tobacco grown in the U.S. due to its superior quality, which is why growers have relied heavily on access to export markets since before the Revolutionary War. China serves as the single largest buyer—purchasing 60–65 million pounds of green tobacco annually.
“Farmers were recently informed that China will not purchase flue-cured tobacco from the 2025 crop, a decision made by the Chinese Communist Party to gain leverage in ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
“…However, these farmers cannot survive without fair access to global markets and equal support from the U.S. government as other major crops receive. As you prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping, we urge you to elevate the priorities of American tobacco farmers and ensure our tobacco farm families receive fair treatment in trade negotiations, just as you did during your first term and have promised to continue to do for all of American agriculture.”
Other signatories include Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), along with several House members: Don Davis (D-N.C.-01), Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.-11), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.-05), Pat Harrigan (R-10-N.C.), Mark Harris (R-N.C.-08), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.-09), Brad Knott (R-N.C.-13), Addison McDowell (R-N.C.-06), Tim Moore (R-N.C.-14), Greg Murphy (R-N.C.-03), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.-09), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.-02), John McGuire (R-Va.-05), Ben Cline (R-Va.-06), and Russell Fry (R-S.C.-07).
China remains the main international market for American flue-cured tobacco. The recent announcement that China will not buy this product from the 2025 crop could leave about 65 million pounds without buyers and result in an estimated loss of $220 million in export value.
In South Carolina specifically, farmers produced nearly 14 million pounds of tobacco in 2024 across approximately 6,000 acres and are expected to increase output up to 15 million pounds on up to 6,500 acres in 2025. This sector generates between $34 million and $37 million in gross revenue annually for South Carolina’s rural economy; disruptions in export markets may cause significant financial difficulties for local producers.
