E.U. Sets Retaliatory Tariffs on Republican States' Produce
time.com
The tariffs primarily target Republican-held states, such as hitting soybeans in House speaker Mike Johnson’s Louisiana.
  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    23 days ago

    So now the US has a trade war with China, which has tariffs targeting US agriculture, and concurrently a trade war with the EU, which has tariffs targeting US agriculture.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-tariffs-us-farmers/

    China’s retaliatory tariffs went into effect Monday, spelling trouble for American farmers by making U.S.-grown crops more expensive for their top purchaser.

    Beijing imposed the levies in response to President Trump’s extra 10% blanket tariff on Chinese goods. Under China’s retaliatory action, U.S. farmers now face levies of 15% on chicken, wheat and corn, and 10% on soybeans, pork, beef and fruit.

    Farmers are bearing the brunt of the effects of a trade war with key U.S. trade partners, Boyd added. “The president is using American farmers to bargain with, but at the end of the day, we are the ones that are hurting.”

    Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, told CBS MoneyWatch that the industry had anticipated that Mr. Trump would impose levies on key U.S. trade partners, but that there wasn’t a whole lot the farmers he represents could do to prepare.

    “Of course, agriculture products are subject to the retaliatory tariffs, and farmers tend to be the ones that get it first and hardest in a trade war; we take the brunt of this and get a black eye or busted nose,” Levendofsky told CBS MoneyWatch.

    He explained that farmers across the U.S. are grappling with high input costs, including the price of seeds, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel and equipment costs needed to run their farms. Meanwhile, commodity prices are low.

    “This trade war and these tariffs adds to that very stressful time and does not help the farm economy. When farmers aren’t making money, they are not spending money and that directly ripples across the rural economy,” he said.

    I once again reiterate my earlier statements that a lot of Trump policy does not seem to be to be very good at all for American agriculture, which is surprising to me, given that the present-day Republican Party is the party of rural America.

    • KoboldCoterie@pawb.socialEnglish
      0·
      23 days ago

      I once again reiterate my earlier statements that a lot of Trump policy does not seem to be to be very good at all for American agriculture, which is surprising to me, given that the present-day Republican Party is the party of rural America.

      It shouldn’t be surprising. Trump doesn’t represent the Republican party; Trump represents Trump. He does what’s best for Trump, nobody else. If what he wants happens to coincide with what’s good for anyone else, it’s a happy coincidence, nothing more.

  • KoboldCoterie@pawb.socialEnglish
    0·
    23 days ago

    I really appreciate that they’re targeting republican states specifically. It’s at least nice that it’s being acknowledged that the US isn’t a monolith and most of us don’t agree with this shit. Not that it doesn’t hurt us all, obviously, but it’s at least a nice little nod to the fact.

    • ToiletFlushShowerScream@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      23 days ago

      I agree, but I think targeting the current Republican and conservative think tank sources of funding will have a bigger response, and they are often where the money is, ie not the poorest Republican states. The cult voters won’t be swayed by this I fear. I could be wrong.