Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

An American timber business owner who supports Donald Trump is grappling with unsold inventory and shrinking cash flow due to the ongoing trade war, as Washington's punitive tariffs weigh heavily on his operations and push him to seek alternatives to the Chinese market.

Brandon Arbogast, the owner of Valley Log Sales in Timberville, Virginia, has spent decades in the lumber industry, exporting premium Virginia timber, primarily to China.

In this market, a high-quality timber log can fetch up to 4,000 U.S. dollars. However, the Trump administration's tariffs have upended his trade, leaving him with inventory that would normally be sold overseas.

Although Arbogast is well-versed in the cyclical nature of the lumber business, he now finds himself confronting an unprecedented challenge.

"It's not going too good. We are in a trade war. China takes in about 60 percent of American hardwood, lumber, and logs, and they are such a big market that it makes the rest of the world play fair. It makes it very competitive. And with them not buying, it turns out there are a lot of logs on the market now. Since they are not buying, and people are trying to get the logs as cheap as they can, the rich get richer, and the middle class, like me, suffer," Arbogast said.

Sitting on 120,000 to 130,000 U.S. dollars' worth of unsold wood, Arbogast is contemplating selling some of his land to maintain cash flow.

"I can still hold for a while. I've been okay in this business; the business has been kind to me. I've worked very hard to get where I am. I can hold for a little while. I can't hold forever. I'm just hoping soon something happens with the trade deal, and you know it works out for both sides," Arbogast added.

Despite the difficulties, Arbogast remains hopeful. He is not angry with President Trump. As a self-identified Trump supporter, Arbogast is willing to endure the hardship, hoping that a resolution to the trade dispute will eventually bring relief.

For now, his premium walnut logs, which are typically transformed into furniture, flooring, and kitchen cabinets, remain idle in the field, surrounded by growing crops.

The unsold walnut wood has become a growing concern for Arbogast's business. Like many small business owners around the world, he and countless others are waiting for progress.

Eyes are now on Geneva, where high-level talks on China-U.S. economic and trade affairs commenced on Saturday.

China's lead representative, He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier, attended the meeting alongside U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Although Geneva may seem like a million miles away, small business owners like Arbogast are eager for signs of progress. While they can hold out for now, they are hoping to return to normal operations -- shipping logs worldwide and ensuring jobs for workers who transform timber into essential products.

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Trump-supporting timber business owner struggles as tariffs disrupt trade

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that decisions on war and negotiations rest with Iran's leadership and the Supreme National Security Council, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the two countries were still expected to sign a memorandum of understanding later in the day.

At a meeting on Sunday, Pezeshkian said that everyone must obey the decisions made by Iran's Supreme Leader, adding that the Iranian government simultaneously pursues the well-being of its people, national sovereignty, and the development of regional relations.

He stressed that through internal unity, proactive diplomacy, and economic reforms, Iran will overcome challenges.

On the same day, prior to Israel's attack on Lebanon, a source close to the Iranian negotiating team said a Qatari negotiating delegation was in Tehran, Iran's capital, and that the Iranian side was using the Qatari team to convey to the United States the terms it hoped to include in an Iran-U.S. agreement, as well as specific details it considered important.

The source emphasized that no final decision had been reached yet.

Regarding the ups and downs in the negotiations, the source said that, despite setbacks, Iran remains committed to the principle that all of its concerns must ultimately be fully taken into account. The source added that even if Iran's positions are fully reflected in the agreement, Tehran will not sign any deal within the timeframe announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, the Israeli military again launched an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon.

In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on social media that the Israeli strike had once again shown the United States "either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so," making it impossible to continue the dialogue process.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the U.S. and Iran still had a good chance of signing a memorandum of understanding later in the day, which would restart cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and lift U.S. blockades on Iranian ports.

In an interview with U.S. media, Hegseth said the two countries are "on track to" sign a deal to end fighting on Sunday.

"It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," he said.

Hegseth said that after the agreement is signed, the U.S. and Iran will have 60 days to negotiate a longer-term peace arrangement and tackle broader issues, including Iran's nuclear program.

He said that the agreement is performance-based, meaning that no funds will be released to Iran until the Iranian side performs.

Iranian president says Iran's leadership decides on war, talk; US defense secretary expects MoU signed on Sunday