For Brian Duncan, an independent farmer and president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, trade remains one of his chief worries.

“There's a lot of uncertainty here,” said Duncan, speaking with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal. “Trade is hugely important to agriculture, and consistency is important to agriculture.”

According to the state’s Department of Commerce, Illinois is the fourth largest-exporting state in the country, and agricultural products made up about $5 billion worth of exports in 2024. But the constant back-and-forth on tariffs has Duncan and the farmers he represents uncertain about the future.

“We need some signed agreements that provide some certainty and some security,” said Duncan. “We appreciate the administration's effort in these areas, but it has been very disruptive. And we know if there are reciprocal tariffs, we're going to be number one on everybody's target list.”

He spoke with “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal about the national issues farmers are keeping an eye on.

To hear more from Duncan, use the audio player above.