On one of the largest blueberry farms in the U.S., there are rows and rows of bushes as far as the eye can see.

“This variety is Draper,” said Ray Biln, whose family owns this sprawling farm in Franklin County, Washington.

Washington state is the leading producer of blueberries in the U.S. But it turns out that much of that fruit passes through Canada for packing, processing, and cold storage, all before reaching American grains. Now, the Trump administration's tariffs threaten to disrupt the blueberry industry on both sides of the border.

It takes around 800 workers to harvest on this farm alone.

“Our decisions affect other people,” Biln said.

Decisions such as how to manage tariffs.

"That's why it's important to maintain balance and try to make the best decisions within the current situation," Biln said.

Biln's family has other large farms in the United States but also in Canada.

Biln said the blueberry industry is completely interdependent across the border. Most of his Washington fruit is processed and packaged in plastic containers up north, in British Columbia. And then the berries come back, labeled as U.S. fruit. That means his product could be subject to tariffs twice: once upon entering Canada and again upon returning. The idea is simply to confound his grand plans. 

“You know, we have projects on hold right now on both sides of the border,” Biln said.

Source: World trade data

Approximately 40 million pounds of Washington blueberries are shipped to Canada each year for packing or processing. When the berries ripen in midsummer, it's time to sell them fresh or frozen immediately. Tariffs could result in isolated islands of berries, without access to processing or cold storage.

"We're going to have a huge oversupply," said Paul Sangha, who grows berries in the far north of Washington state. He also distributes large quantities of fruit across the country.

Sangha imagines an August with piles and piles of berries in his 10-acre shipping yard, with nowhere to go.

“How can we manage that with such a small window?” Sangha asked.

Alyssa Houtby is the director of the  North American Blueberry Council He expects at least some tariff relief for American blueberry growers.

"We want tariffs addressed in Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan," Houtby said.

These are countries that import a large amount of frozen, fresh, and dried cranberries from the United States. Therefore, if the Trump administration reaches a suitable agreement, perhaps at least part of the domestic cranberry industry will benefit.