Trade War Pits Farmers' Groups Against Trump Admin

The story

As the trade war with China escalates, farmers’ groups have come out in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies despite a $12 billion relief package his administration announced for them.

The details

Farmers for Free Trade, which is backed by the American Farm Bureau Federation and major commodity groups like the National Pork Producers Council, is spending $2.5 million on a four-month campaign aimed at showcasing how Trump’s tariffs are causing pain among U.S. farmers and manufacturers.

For example, the group calls out a July 19 remark by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro in which he called the impact of tariffs a “rounding error.”

Backlash

Regarding the relief package, the Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote:

“The Trump Administration is trying to fix an economic problem of its own making by putting the victims on the federal dole.”

Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, told The Hill that “a one-time check won’t replace the deterioration of long-term contracts and relationships.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, wrote in Fortune magazine:

“The president has incited a trade war that is taking the entire global economy, including ours, down the rabbit hole. Our farmers will be the most serious casualty if he doesn’t figure this out, and soon.”

Deeper roots

The American Conservative posits that while Trump’s trade war is actively harming farmers, the current woes of U.S. agriculture originate with the Farm Bill:

“[B]eyond stopping the trade war, as many conservatives are demanding… real change for farmers requires reform to the farm bill, which has largely fostered this dire situation. Does it make sense for a nation’s agriculture to be so reliant on the precarious nature of international trade partnerships? If we’re going to put 'America First,' shouldn’t we seek to build a more self-sufficient system of agriculture — one that isn’t so reliant on the whims of the executive or the shifting nature of global markets?”

What do you think?

Should the U.S. continue its trade war with China? If so, what concessions from China should the U.S. seek? If not, why not? Hit Take Action to tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy

(Photo credit: iStock.com / pixdeluxe)