Pete Ricketts always claims to fight for Nebraska farmers and ranchers. Yet, he continues to support tariffs that hurt Nebraska farmers, families and businesses. Not only has the Ricketts-backed tariff war led to higher input costs for Nebraska farmers; it also shrunk their market, making it harder to sell crops. Beyond that, the tariffs that Ricketts keeps defending have jacked up prices across the board, stressing Nebraska families and businesses alike. Ricketts knows the tariffs hurt Nebraska, but he just doesn’t care enough to vote to stop them.
Ricketts Downplayed Economic Concerns Caused By Tariffs And Voiced His Support For Allowing Trump To “Carry Out” His Trade Strategy. According to WOWT, “But Ricketts said Wednesday that President Trump needs time to play out his strategy. ‘We can’t undermine the president’s negotiation right now... We need to give him the opportunity to carry out that strategy,’ Ricketts said. […] The senator said he’s not worried the country is headed toward a recession, pointing to strong job growth in March and restating his confidence in Trump’s negotiations on the tariffs. ‘I think you’ll see a lot of uncertainty is going to go away in the marketplace,’ he said.” [WOWT, 4/9/25]
Ricketts Opposed Limiting Trump’s Tariff Authority. According to Nebraska Public Media, “Sen. Pete Ricketts said in a press call Wednesday he supports President Donald Trump’s tariff plan, but does not support the bills in the U.S. House and Senate looking to limit the president’s ability to levy those tariffs. […] ‘I am not considering getting on Sen. Grassley’s bill,’ Ricketts said. ‘I believe we need to give the president time to carry out his strategy to be able to level [the] playing field by getting these tariffs back in line again.’” [Nebraska Public Media, 4/9/25]
Ricketts Disagreed With A Supreme Court Ruling Curtailing Trump’s Tariff Powers. According to Nebraska Public Media, “Bacon referred to a Feb. 20 Supreme Court decision in which Justices ruled the president’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs unconstitutional. U.S. Sen. Ricketts disagreed, saying in a Wednesday press call that tariffs ‘level the playing field’ with other countries.” [Nebraska Public Media, 2/25/26]
[VIDEO] Ricketts Defended Tariffs On Allies, Suggesting They Would “Level The Playing Field.” “Our producers and I saw firsthand how some of our allies are actually advantaging us when it comes to tariffs. They have high tariffs on our products. We have low tariffs on theirs. And it's not fair. These are countries we defend. And so we should be looking to be able to level the playing field, which is what the tariffs we're doing are trying to do. Now, when it comes to tariffs and making sure we've got a level playing field, I want to make sure we're defending agriculture. And that's what I'll always do.” [Nebraska State Fair Debate, 9/1/26]
Ricketts Praised Trump’s Tariffs, Claiming They Created A “Level Playing Field” With Trading Partners. According to KSNB, “Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts listed cutting regulation as a top priority, calling it a ‘wet blanket on business.’ But Ricketts said President Trump’s tariffs have leveled the playing field for U.S. trade partners and pointed to growth in exports. ‘We actually have — now we’re on track this year to have record trading with the EU, Mexico, South Korea, and the U.K. So leveraging what we’ve done with tariffs to get a level playing field has helped expand our trading and do more exports with these key trading partners,’ Ricketts said.” [KSNB, 8/12/26]
[VIDEO] Ricketts Acknowledged That The Cost Of Living Was The “Number One Issue” For Nebraskans While Placing The Blame On President Biden, Not Tariffs, For Cost Increases. “There's no doubt as I travel the state, the cost of living is the number one issue people talk to me about. And I get it. I just went to the grocery store to pick up a pound of hamburger for my mom and it was $6.99 a pound before Joe Biden. It was $4.99 a pound. And we saw grocery prices go up 20% under Joe Biden. And, of course, gas prices went up and now they're come back down and back up again. And so it puts a real pressure on families budgets. And that's why we're working so hard to put more money back in your pockets through the working families tax cut.” [Nebraska State Fair Debate, 9/1/26]
October 2025: Ricketts Effectively Voted Against Terminating The February 2025 Tariffs Imposed On Canada. In October 2025, Ricketts voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the joint resolution that would terminate the national emergency declared by the president on Feb. 1, 2025, with respect to Canada’s purported ‘failure to act’ to stop fentanyl and human trafficking at the northern border. The emergency declaration imposed tariffs on most imports from Canada.” The vote was on passage. The Senate passed the joint resolution by a vote of 50 to 46. [Senate Vote 598, 10/29/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/29/25; Congressional Actions, S.J.Res. 77]
February 2026: Ricketts Effectively Voted Against Terminating The April 2025 National Emergency That Imposed 10 Percent “Reciprocal” Tariffs. In February 2026, Ricketts voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, the joint resolution that would “terminate the national emergency declared by the president in April 2025 with respect to global trade relationships. The emergency declaration imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on all countries trading with the U.S..” The vote was on passage. The Senate passed the joint resolution by a vote of 51 to 47. [Senate Vote 600, 10/30/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/30/25; Congressional Actions, S.J.Res. 88]
October 2025: Ricketts Voted Against Terminating The National Emergency That Allowed Trump To Impose A 40 Percent Tariff On Brazil. In October 2025, Ricketts voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the joint resolution that would terminate the national emergency declared in a July 2025 executive order with respect to imports from Brazil. The executive order imposed an additional 40 percent tariff on Brazilian imports but exempted certain goods, including some metals, energy products and agricultural goods. The executive order also stated that Brazil has taken actions that undermine U.S. national security and economic interests. It accused Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of politically motivated censorship and coercion of U.S. companies. It also accused Brazilian officials of bringing ‘unjustified criminal charges’ against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, among other antidemocratic activities.” The vote was on passage. The Senate agreed to the joint resolution by a vote of 52 to 48. [Senate Vote 594, 10/28/25; Congressional Quarterly, 10/28/25; Congressional Actions, S.J.Res. 81]
April 2025: Ricketts Effectively Voted Against Terminate The National Emergency Declared By Trump That Allowed For The Imposition Of Global Tariffs. In April 2025, Ricketts voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to table (kill) the Thune motion to reconsider the vote by which the joint resolution was not passed.” The vote was on the motion to table. The Senate agreed to the motion by a vote of 49 to 49 with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking. [Senate Vote 226, 4/30/25; Congressional Quarterly, 4/30/25; Congressional Actions, S.J.Res. 49]
April 2025: Ricketts Voted Against Terminating The National Emergency Declared By Trump That Allowed For The Imposition Of Global Tariffs. In April 2025, Ricketts voted against, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the joint resolution that would terminate the national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025, used to impose global tariffs on U.S. trading partners.” The vote was on passage. The Senate rejected the joint resolution by a vote of 49 to 49. [Senate Vote 225, 4/30/25; Congressional Quarterly, 4/30/25; Congressional Actions, S.J.Res. 49]
March 2025: Ricketts Voted To Disapprove An IRS Rule That Established Reporting Requirements For Digital Asset Proceeds. In March 2025, Ricketts voted for, “the bill that would provide for Congressional disapproval of, and nullify, a December 2024 IRS rule related to gross proceeds reporting by brokers involved in digital asset sales. The rule imposed reporting requirements, beginning in 2027, on non-custodial barkers who participate in the decentralized digital asset market. It also required brokers to file information returns and provide payee statements reporting gross proceeds from certain digital asset sales and transactions.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 292 to 132. [Senate Vote 151, 3/26/25; Congressional Quarterly, 3/26/25; Congressional Actions, H.J. Res. 25]
Nebraska Bore A $1.8 Billion Tariff Burden Between January 2025 And June 2026, Costing The Average Household $789. According to Axios, “ Trump tariff costs on each state's imports since January 2025, shown as an equivalent cost per household. […] NEBRASKA. Estimate[d] tariffs paid: $650m. Per-household equivalent: $789. Most-impacted: Auto parts. […] Includes tariffs mandated by executive order only. Totals through June 2026.” [Axios, 8/27/26]
Tariffs Were Increasing Input Costs And Cratering Export Opportunities For Nebraska Manufacturers. According to KCUR, “Nebraskans make things: Basketball hoops, farm equipment, artificial limbs and bullets are among the thousands of products that comprise the state’s manufacturing sector. Right now, manufacturers are in pain. […] For example, Goss said, China stopped buying goods coming from the U.S., ‘and that was telegraphed right back to the Nebraska economy.’ Manufacturing accounts for about 12% of the state’s total economic output and about 10% of Nebraska jobs. According to Goss, Nebraska’s manufacturing exports declined 12.6% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. He said it’s costing companies more to import the materials, ingredients and components they need to make their products.” [KCUR, 2/4/26]
Nebraska-Based Bish Enterprises Saw Component Costs Rise 80 Percent Year-Over-Year. According to KCUR, “‘Ultimately, the burden of tariffs will fall on consumers and businesses,’ Goss said. That’s the case for Bish Enterprises in Giltner, which makes specialized equipment for corn, hemp and sorghum farms around the country. Its machines weigh tons and require a variety of components to make. Andrew Bish, chief operating officer of his family business, said the first year of the Trump administration’s tariffs hit hard. ‘It’s been challenging for us on costs and then trying to figure out how we absorb some of that and what we have to pass on,’ Bish said. Based in Giltner, Bish Enterprises buys U.S. steel, but relies on electronic and hydraulic components from Germany, China and other countries. Under Trump, every trading partner is subject to tariffs, with rates that vary depending on the country and the product. Bish said 2026 prices for some components of his company’s products are up 75% to 80% over this time last year, so the company is evaluating how to keep costs down.” [KCUR, 2/4/26]
Nebraska-Based “The Chocolate Season” Was Forced To Add New Fees And Remove Discounts Due To Tariffs. According to KCUR, “The Chocolate Season in Lincoln occupies a much smaller corner of Nebraska’s manufacturing section. […] ‘Tariffs have definitely increased our costs,’ said owner Erika Jensen. […] The Chocolate Season is saving money by offering fewer sales and discounts, for example, and charging corporate customers with large orders a fee for paying by credit card.” [KCUR, 2/4/26]
The US-China Trade War Created A Loss Exposure For Nebraska Agriculture To The Tune Of $710 Million, The Sixth Highest Of Any State. According to a report from the NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor, “U.S. agricultural production is geographically concentrated, so the commodity-level shortfalls in shipments to China translate into different levels of exposure across states. […] The top of the distribution concentrates in the Corn Belt, Great Plains, California, and Texas. Iowa shows the largest single-state exposure at approximately $1.2 billion, followed closely by California ($1.2B) and Illinois ($1.2B). Texas ($907M), Kansas ($881M), Nebraska ($710M), Minnesota ($669M), Missouri ($657M), Indiana ($607M), South Dakota ($546M), Ohio ($494M), Arkansas ($481M), and North Dakota ($419M) round out the top thirteen. The top ten states together account for over half of the allocated aggregate exposure.” [Report – NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor, 5/20/26]
“We Just Can’t Continue”: Nebraska Soybean And Corn Farmers Lost One Of Their Biggest Buyers In China, Thanks To Tariffs. According to Nebraska Public Media, “The double whammy of sagging corn prices and the United States’ loss of its primary soybean buyer, China, is forcing farmers to stare down the barrel of another year of projected financial loss. ‘I’m getting calls from folks that are – you would think would be – in pretty good financial positions, and they’re saying, “We just can’t continue,”’ said Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen. […] The USDA projects Nebraska producers to net 1.93 billion corn bushels – up 7% from last year’s production. […] But farmers aren’t expecting to see any sales – no matter how great their crop is – to some of Nebraska’s top foreign markets, primarily China, due to trade disputes and negotiations. The country is now leaning more on U.S. competitors like Brazil to fill its corn and soybean needs. That could deal another blow to Nebraska producers, whose biggest buyer of soybeans is China, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Of the $2.5 billion in Nebraska’s soybean exports in 2023, China spent nearly $1 billion.” [Nebraska Public Media, 9/23/25]
Conservative Nebraska Farmer Mike Dobesh Warned Ricketts To Fight Harder For Farmers In Light Of Ricketts’s Reelection Bid, Citing High Input Costs And Low Commodity Prices Caused By Tariffs. According to KSNB, “Mike Dobesh farms 1,100 acres near Grand Island and is only weeks away from harvest. Despite strong yields, he and many other Nebraska farmers fear a rough end to the year. ‘Commodity prices are in the basement, and all the inputs are way sky high,’ Dobesh said. Farmers and agriculture experts point to tariffs as a major factor. […] Dobesh wants politicians to do more to fight for farmers. With midterm elections on the horizon, he said their actions could sway rural voters. ‘(Sen. Pete) Ricketts is gonna be running for reelection,’ Dobesh said. ‘If things don’t turn around, I could see the midterms being a bloodbath. I’m as conservative as day is long; I’m pro-life, pro-gun. If they’re not willing to go to bat for us, it could be different.’” [KSNB, 9/15/25]