Senate Democrats Oppose U.S. Trade Aid for Foreign Companies

Nine U.S. Senators led by Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow are sharing concern over U.S. trade aid going to foreign companies.  With the administration using up to $1.4 billion to purchase commodities, the group said the USDA is allowing foreign companies to profit from the plan aimed to assist American farmers.  Stabenow, the top Democrat of the Senate Ag Committee, points out the first round of trade aid included purchase contracts of nearly $62.5 million in pork products from JBS USA, which is owned by Brazilian parent company JBS SA.

A letter to USDA from the Senators calls the move “counterproductive,” adding its “unacceptable that American taxpayers have been subsidizing competitors through trade assistance.”

All signees were Democrats, including Washington’s Patty Murray, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, Vermont’s Patrick Leahy, Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar, and Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin.

Baldwin questioned the funding last week in a standalone statement following the announcement of the trade aid program.

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