Lawmakers, Trade Groups Concerned About Tariff Impacts on Agriculture

The entire congressional delegation from Washington state sent a letter to the U.S. trade representative, asking him to negotiate a solution with countries facing Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, because retaliatory tariffs on apples, cherries, pears and potatoes will cost the state's farmers tens of millions of dollars. The letter talks about cherry sales in China, apple sales in India, China and Mexico, and notes, "With cherry harvest beginning in the Pacific Northwest, time is of the essence for our growers."

The letter, sent June 11, said: "This season, Washington’s apple growers have shipped over 10 million cartons of apples to Mexico, making up 27 percent of apple exports." India is the No. 2 market for apples, they said, adding, "We understand that around one million cartons of apples are currently on container ships en route to India."

Meanwhile, commodity growers are worried about China's vow to raise tariffs in response to tariffs levied from the Section 301 investigation of China's anti-market practices. A coalition of interest groups representing wheat, corn and soybean farmers -- and farm equipment manufacturers -- said in a June 14 press release that they have not been able to make headway with the administration, and they are asking Congress to help convince President Donald Trump not to impose tariffs on China. The Section 301 list of products subject to tariffs is expected to be released no later than June 15.

In the release, a Kentucky soybean grower said he is distraught at the prospect of China increasing tariffs by 25 percent on his product. "Adding a 25 percent tariff on exports to China for U.S. wheat is the last thing we need during some of the worst economic times in farm country,” said National Association of Wheat Growers President Jimmie Musick, a wheat farmer from Sentinel, Oklahoma.