Tariffs Continue To Weigh On Minds Of American Farmers

President Trump continues to battle China with tariffs, and U.S. farm interests seem powerless to stop him.  Farm lawmakers and lobbyists pushed President Trump and his advisers against a tariff war for weeks but have little to show for it, except maybe a possible USDA bailout package by Labor Day.  Trump’s latest move to outdo China with pending tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese products, points to one ‘end game,’ only, squeeze China until it runs out of fewer U.S. products to tax.

“This is very hard to see how this is going to play out," said former USDA trade adviser Paul Drazek..  I can’t see the President backing down, and I can’t see the Chinese backing down.  The idea of losing face in that way for the Chinese is incomprehensible for me.”

American Farm Bureau trade adviser Dave Salmonsen said the tariffs do nothing but hurt U.S. farmers.

“We’d rather have discussions and solve issues that way, rather than countries imposing tariffs on each other, and hitting agriculture, which isn’t really directly involved in the underlying discussion here.”

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