Wisconsin ginseng growers squeezed by China tariffs
Wisconsin ginseng farmers face mounting pressures as trade disputes with China and competition from cheaper Canadian imports threaten their survival. The state produces nearly all American ginseng from Marathon County, where mineral-rich soils create premium roots that once commanded top prices in Chinese markets. Joe Heil of Heil Ginseng Enterprises says rising labor and fertilizer costs have made cultivation unprofitable, shrinking the number of growers from 1,400 a generation ago to fewer than 70 today.
Tariff battles between Washington and Beijing have worsened conditions for producers who need three to four years to harvest marketable roots. China imported 3,000 metric tons of Canadian ginseng at 15 dollars per kilogram in 2024, compared with 213 tons of American product priced at 69 dollars per kilogram. Nick Sandquist of Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises says unpredictable trade policies complicate business planning for the delicate crop.
Farmers have diversified operations while warehouses fill with unsold inventory awaiting renewed Chinese demand. Will Hsu notes that shipments and sales are taking longer as growers struggle to convert harvests into revenue. The industry generated 14.7 million dollars in exports to China last year after booming through the 1990s and 2000s when Beijing relaxed import restrictions.
