What They Are Saying: Agricultural Stakeholders React to Trump's Tariffs

March 06, 2025

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(U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Democrats) Caleb Ragland, president, American Soybean Association: “Farmers are frustrated. Tariffs are not something to take lightly and ‘have fun’ with. Not only do they hit our family businesses squarely in the wallet, but they rock a core tenet on which our trading relationships are built, and that is reliability. Being able to reliably supply a quality product to them consistently.”

Josh Gackle, chairman, American Soybean Association: “We do everything we can to create domestic demand, whether it’s through biofuels or feeding our product to livestock. But you can’t eliminate the export market and expect there’s going to be a price that farmers can run their farms on.”

Lori Stevermer, president, National Pork Producers Council: “Mexico is our number one market for exports, so any type of disruptions are of concern, especially the retaliatory tariffs that might come back to us. It’s also important to note that we, as an industry, get young, weaned pigs from Canada that would be affected by those tariffs also, which would add cost to our producers. Those pigs are raised in states like Minnesota and Iowa.”

Dave Puglia, CEO, Western Growers Association: “In the last month, the looming threat of these tariffs was enough to prompt some major Canadian grocery chains to either cancel orders from American growers as they pivoted to other countries capable of supplying them or to require American growers to secure a foreign product supply to supplant their U.S.-grown crops. There is no question that with the move to impose these tariffs, our members will confront sweeping retaliatory actions that effectively block our American-grown fresh produce from those markets. The risk is not just an immediate one. Years after the China tariffs and the predictable Chinese tariffs imposed in retaliation on many of our members’ U.S.-grown products, our ability to sell into the Chinese market remains handicapped in no small part because other countries took advantage of the disruption and captured much of that market. This lingering economic harm is quite likely to be replicated this time on a broader scale as Canada and Mexico represent the top two export markets for fresh produce grown in the United States.”

Kenneth Hartman, president, National Corn Growers Association: “Farmers are facing a troubling economic landscape due to rising input costs and declining corn prices. We ask President Trump to quickly negotiate agreements with Mexico, Canada and China that will benefit American farmers while addressing issues important to the United States. We call on our trading partners to work with the president to resolve these issues so that that we can restore vital market access.”

Krysta Harden, CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council: “Exports are fundamental to the health of the U.S. dairy industry. One day’s worth of milk production out of every six is destined for international consumers, and U.S. dairy sales to Mexico, Canada, and China account for 51% of our total global exports. That’s a lot at stake.”

Farmers for Free Trade: “There will be significant national economic implications with all these tariffs in effect. Based on 2024 data, the new rates will result in an estimated $300 billion more in tariffs, or over $824 million in extra taxes on U.S. importers per day.”

Rob Larew, president, National Farmers Union: “The tariffs announced today, along with retaliatory measures from China and Canada, will have serious consequences for American agriculture. Our farmers are the backbone of this country, and they need strong, fair trade policies that ensure they can compete on a level playing field—not be caught in the middle of international disputes. We are already facing significant economic uncertainty, and these actions only add to the strain. […] Promises alone won’t pay the bills or keep farms afloat. Without a clear plan, family farmers will once again be left to bear the burden of decisions beyond their control, and eventually, so will consumers. We urge the administration to work with our trading partners to prevent further harm to rural communities.”

Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation: “Farmers and ranchers are concerned with the decision to impose increased tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China – our top trading partners. Last year, the U.S. exported more than $83 billion in agricultural products to the three countries. Approximately 85% of our total potash supply – a key ingredient in fertilizer – is imported from Canada. For the third straight year, farmers are losing money on almost every major crop planted. Adding even more costs and reducing markets for American agricultural goods could create an economic burden some farmers may not be able to bear.”

Gary Wertish, president, Minnesota Farmers Union: “[F]armers, this is their livelihood. It's not a game. We're dealing with low, low prices and high input costs. So, the margin's not there. And you know this, this is definitely going to hurt farmers and consumers.”

Justin Sherlock, president, North Dakota Soybean Growers Association: “You know, we haven't really recovered from the first trade war with China. And right now, producers have very little to fall back on. This is the time of year when most family farm operations are working to renew their operating loans with their lending institutions, with their banks. So, you know, are the banks going to continue to provide lending services to us if we can't guarantee that we can pay back our operating loans? […] This could potentially really hurt a lot of family farms, and you know, whether they're able to stay in business in 2025.”

Brian Duncan, president, Illinois Farm Bureau: “We remain deeply concerned with the use of tariffs and their potential to spark retaliation on America’s farmers. Illinois farmers’ products — from grains and feed, corn, soybeans, ethanol, beef, pork, and more — rely on access to foreign markets and will undoubtedly be impacted by these new tariffs either through increased prices or decreased market access. This uncertainty coupled with an already struggling farm economy has farmers worried as we head into planting season.”

Nick Levendofsky, president, Kansas Farmers Union: “This isn’t a game. It’s not a reality TV show. It’s reality. There’s nothing fun or funny about this, when you’ve got markets that have been built up for years and decades, frankly, that are now being put into question and people are wondering if they’re going to be able to raise the crop, make it work, pay for things that they need to pay for, make a living, all of those things. […] It’s a global market, but when you’re upsetting your neighbours, your biggest trading partners that are easy-access markets, then you’re cutting your nose off to spite your face, is what you’re doing, and then you get the retaliatory tariffs, which then causes us to pay more for all these products.”

Walter Schweitzer, president, Montana Farmers Union: “The U.S. is the largest beef exporter in the world. We’re also one of the largest beef importers in the world. Tariffs hit us both ways on that. […] Most of our feeder calves go north to the border to be finished, fed out, and many of them come back to the United States to be processed. Most of our inputs for growing our feed come from Canada. So, these tariffs would have a very adverse impact on the cattle ranchers of Montana.”

Chad Franke, president, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union: “We’re really good at raising healthy, safe, and cost-effective food to the point that we produce way more than this country needs. To say that we’re just going to sell it domestically is like saying you should put 20 gallons of gas in your 15-gallon gas tank. Farmers and ranchers already have enough uncertainty in their daily lives. They don’t need any more.”

Kip Eideberg, senior vice president, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (per The Hagstrom Report): “Tariffs are taxes. They are taxes on American companies and farmers. They will drive up the cost of making equipment in the United States. They are inflationary, which is bad news for equipment manufacturers. We are extremely concerned about the tariffs that are set to take place at midnight. […] All tariffs will drive up the cost of making equipment in the United States. We always try to source inputs close to manufacturing operations, but some cannot be sourced at scale inside the United States.”

Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute: “The 25 percent tariffs on critical fertilizer imports from Canada, including potash, ammonium sulfate, nitrogen fertilizers and sulfur will drive up the cost of production for U.S. farmers. These costs ripple throughout the agriculture community, ultimately leading to higher prices at the grocery store.”

Steve Kuiper, director, Iowa Corn Growers: “Farmers are very concerned. […] In the end we want good trade agreements where it benefits us as U.S. producers. Not only does the tariff hurt us from a business standpoint, it hurts the consumers around the country.”

Greg Tyler, CEO, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council: “Tariff wars are only serving to harm those who rely on international trade to support their livelihoods.”

Barb Kalbach, soybean farmer, Dexter, IA: “He’s out there with his wrecking ball just throwing tariffs around. This is just going to take parts of our markets away.”

Danny Lundell, corn and soybean farmer, Cannon Falls, MN: “He creates a lot of chaos and uncertainty in the farming community. There's a lot of nervousness going on right now.”

Dennis Campbell, president, Crystal Creek Enterprises: “We grow corn and soybeans here in the Midwest, and soybeans are primarily an international export product force. China will not change the amount of soybeans that they buy. They’re just going to buy it from somebody else, we could potentially overload the domestic the US marketplace, which would drive down prices.”

Marc Busch, Karl F. Landegger Professor of International Business Diplomacy, Georgetown School of Foreign Service: “Agriculture took the brunt of retaliatory tariffs by China last time, and certainly agriculture is going to be the main target of today’s retaliatory strikes. The expectation among ag stakeholders is that it will only be worse this time.”

Joe Janzen, assistant professor of agricultural economics, University of Illinois: “There is no domestic market for the amount of corn, soybeans, wheat, and other agricultural products that we now export in significant quantities.”

Francis Lun, CEO, Geo Securities, Hong Kong, CN: “I don't think China will buy any more U.S. farm products. The orders will go to South America. I think all in all, it's a lose-lose situation. Nobody gains anything.”

Donald J. Trump, president, United States of America: “Have fun!” READ MORE

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Trump to put tariffs on agricultural imports, tells farmers to ‘have fun’ (Straight Arrow News; includes VIDEO)
Farmers Fear More Pain From Trump's Trade War (Time/Yahoo!)
Trump Delays Tariffs for Goods Covered Under Mexico, Canada Trade Deal (AgWeb)
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US agribusiness attacks Trump and says Brazil will win trade war (UOL (Google Translation))
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US soy farmers appreciate tariff reprieve, hopeful for nontariff solutions to continue market access (American Soybean Association/Biobased Diesel Daily)
Soy group says US farmers are frustrated with tariffs, urges Trump administration to reconsider (American Soybean Association/Biobased Diesel Daily)
Farmers strongly back Trump. A new trade war could test their loyalty (NPR/WESA)
‘Tariffs break trust’: How Trump’s trade policy is putting pressure on U.S. farmers (CNBC)
Trade wars won’t make American farming great again (Bloomberg/Money Control)

Excerpt from AgWeb: For Canada, the amended order also excludes duties on potash, a critical fertilizer for U.S. farmers, but does not fully cover energy products, on which Trump has imposed a separate 10% levy. A White House official said that is because not all energy products imported from Canada are covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade that Trump negotiated in his first term as president.

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The exemptions will expire on April 2, when Trump has threatened to impose a global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all U.S. trading partners.

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U.S. stock markets resumed their recent sell-off on Thursday, with investors citing the rapid-fire, back-and-forth developments on tariffs as a concern due to the uncertainty they are fanning. Economists have warned that the levies may rekindle inflation that has already proven difficult to bring fully to heel, and slow demand and growth in its wake. READ MORE

Excerpt from Associated Press: Roughly 62% of imports from Canada would likely still face the new tariffs because they’re not USMCA-compliant, according to a White House official who insisted on anonymity to preview the orders on a call with reporters. Half of imports from Mexico that are not USCMA-compliant would also be taxed under the orders being signed by Trump, the official said.

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Trump’s actions also thawed relations with Canada somewhat, after its initial retaliatory tariffs of $30 billion Canadian (US$21 billion) on U.S. goods. The government said it had suspended its second wave of retaliatory tariffs on additional U.S. goods worth $125 billion (US$87 billion).

Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff threats have roiled financial markets, lowered consumer confidence, and enveloped many businesses in an uncertain atmosphere that could delay hiring and investment.

Major U.S. stock markets briefly bounced off lows after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previewed the monthlong pauses on CNBC on Thursday. Significant declines already seen this week resumed within an hour. The S&P 500 stock index has fallen below where it was before Trump was elected. READ MORE

Excerpt from UOL: U.S. soybean producers are criticizing President Donald Trump and warning that, in the face of a trade war with China and other partners, Brazil will be the winner of the White House's protectionist policies. The pressure on Washington comes at a time when the Brazilian government is also launching its first effort to negotiate a diplomatic solution and avoid being targeted by Trump's tariffs.

Today, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin will have a virtual meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

The meeting comes after Trump named Brazil in his speech to Congress as an example of a country that imposes "unfair" tariffs on US products.

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The inclusion of Brazil sounded the alarm in the government about the possibility that, in April, tariffs would be imposed on goods exported by the country.

Brazil hopes to open a channel of dialogue and seek a solution before the case turns into a trade war. One of the arguments of the Lula government is that the Americans have accumulated a trade surplus of US$200 billion in the last ten years in the flow of trade with Brazil. The government will also insist on the fact that, on average, it applies a tariff of 2.7% to American goods and that, among the main items on the agenda, several products sold by the US enter the national market tariff-free.

But Washington is likely to use the fact that Brazil charges an 18% tariff on ethanol to justify a protectionist gesture. READ MORE

Excerpt from Farmtario: Canadian grain farmers are bracing for significant economic hardship following the United States’ decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian grain and grain products.

The Grain Growers of Canada is now urging the Canadian government to take immediate action to eliminate the tariffs, highlighting the potential for widespread market instability, increased financial burdens on Canadian crop producers and increased food costs for American consumers.

The newly implemented tariffs threaten a vital trade relationship, with Canada exporting more than $17 billion worth of grain and grain products to the U.S. annually.

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“Uncertainty with our largest trading partner for grain and grain products, on top of ongoing instability with our second-largest trading partner, China, could push many family farms to the brink.”

GGC argues that the tariffs will negatively impact American consumers.

“A 25 per cent tariff on Canadian grain and grain products is in effect a 25 per cent tax on American consumers who purchase groceries every day,” said Larkin.

He predicted price increases for a range of everyday products, including bread, pasta, beer, oatmeal and canola oil, which will exacerbate the current affordability crisis. READ MORE

Excerpt from NPR/WESA:

Travis Zook grows corn, raises cattle and owns a seed dealership and farm service business in northeast Indiana. He exemplifies some of the mixed emotions that many farmers have when it comes to President Trump.

Like more than 75% of voters in rural, farm-dependent counties, the 44-year-old farmer says he cast his ballot for Trump in November. He stands by that decision. "I still think some of the stuff is maybe the right move for our country," Zook says, "but maybe not the way he's doing it."

But Zook also recalls the pain experienced in Trump's 2018 trade war, which hit farmers particularly hard. "The markets definitely went down last time," he acknowledges.

In fact, it ended up costing farmers an estimated $27 billion in lost agricultural exports. Although Zook says he appreciates the financial relief that farmers received from Trump in his first term — billions of dollars in subsidies aimed at offsetting those trade-war losses — he isn't entirely comfortable with government handouts to farmers.

What's more, now isn't the time for corn growers like himself to get hit again by tariffs. "There's a lot of things stacked against us right now," he says. "You know, bird flu is a scare right now. If we all of a sudden kill billions of chickens, there's a big consumer of corn that's not going to be there."

Trump's latest trade war targets the United States' top three trading partners: Mexico, Canada and China. China is once again imposing countertariffs on U.S. soybeans and corn, two major agricultural exports. Canada, which supplies 85% of U.S. potash (a key fertilizer ingredient), might be considering halting shipments across the border. Meanwhile, Trump's deportation push could reduce the flow of migrant workers from Mexico, many of whom have long been the backbone of American agriculture.

Adding to the pressure on U.S. farmers, Elon Musk's government efficiency team has put a stop to payments for essential agricultural programs tied to the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act and severely cut funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which used to buy around $2 billion worth of American farm products annually.

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Nick Levendofsky, the executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, urges caution. He reminds farmers that they have been down this road before — during Trump's first term. "We need to be cautious. We need to be wary of this," Levendofsky advises.

Even temporary tariffs can lead to permanent losses in markets and disruptions in agricultural supply chains, Levendofsky warns.

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This comes at a time when commodity prices and input costs, including fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, equipment and land, are at historical highs, making it even more difficult for farmers.

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A study from last year, commissioned by the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association, found that in the event of a new trade war, U.S. soybean exports to China could drop by 51.8%, and U.S. corn exports to China could plummet by 84.3%. Meanwhile, Brazil and Argentina would likely increase their exports, gaining valuable market share.

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Last month, AFBF President Zippy Duvall cautioned that mass deportation of farmworkers could lead to a political backlash, with disruptions to the food supply and price hikes. READ MORE

Excerpt from CNBC: • American farmers could ultimately feel even more pain as a result of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

The latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading showed that almost half of farmers think a trade war leading to a significant decrease in U.S. agricultural exports is “likely” or “very likely.”
The February sentiment data comes amid worries among experts that farmers won’t be as profitable in 2025.

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Tariffs on China were not included in these exemptions. China retaliated with levies of its own, which mainly target U.S. agricultural goods. Specifically, U.S. soybeans are now subject to an additional 10% tariff, while corn gets hit with an extra 15% charge.

“We’re already at the point that we’re unprofitable,” Ragland (Caleb Ragland, a soybean farmer in Magnolia, Ky. and president of the American Soybean Association) said. “Why on earth are we trying to add insult to injury for the ag sector by basically adding a tax?”

Ragland pointed out that he “appreciates the president’s ability to negotiate” and wants Trump to be successful for the sake of the country. However, he emphasized that those in the industry, especially soybean producers, don’t have any “elasticity in our ability to weather a trade war that takes away from our bottom line.”

“Folks are upset,” Ragland said about sentiment from other farmers, stressing that they all need relief through deals that reduce barriers to trade and a new five-year comprehensive farm bill – legislation that provides producers with key commodity support programs, among others. “You’re talking about people’s livelihoods,” he remarked.

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Even in the runup to the implementation of Trump’s tariffs, American farmers were sounding the alarm. Despite the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading showing that farmer sentiment overall improved in February, 44% of survey respondents disclosed that month that trade policy will be most important to their farms in the next five years.

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The February survey also showed that almost 50% of farmers said that they think a trade war leading to a significant decrease in U.S. agricultural exports is “likely” or “very likely.

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Kristen Owen, an analyst at Oppenheimer, predicts that the duties will likely solidify Brazil becoming the primary global producer for both corn and soy, whereas the U.S. will become a sort of incremental supplier to the world. READ MORE

Excerpt from Bloomberg/Money Control: This year, the US will record its third consecutive annual deficit in food trading, with imports set to exceed exports by nearly $50 billion, according to a US Department of Agriculture forecast. It’s a shocking occurrence that reverses almost 70 years of history: America hasn’t seen three straight years of agricultural deficits since Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House.

With Trump’s second term, those agricultural deficits are likely to become permanent. Trade wars are bad for the US agricultural sector. And the White House should know it; or probably knows, but it doesn’t care. Every time the government has embarked on one, the US has lost market share in global agricultural markets.

The US lost its crown as the world’s largest exporter of wheat and soybeans, two of the world’s staples, during the last 10 years to Russia and Brazil, respectively. It remains the king of corn exports, but only for now. Argentina is a major threat to American corn farmers, and the policies of President Javier Milei could unleash monster crops that will erode US dominance.

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The decline of the American farming sector is part of a long economic trend. President George W. Bush tried to reverse it, introducing mandates to boost the use of corn to produce biofuel. Bush assembled a rare alliance of national security hawks determined to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, environmentalists keen to boost green energy and farming lobbyists always happy to use federal money for their benefit. It was the last effective effort to revive American farming.

Thereafter, the White House has done little to help rural America.

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The previous trade war cost American farmers about $27 billion, according to a USDA study. The number will be larger this time, with Beijing already targeting food for retaliation. The American Farm Bureau Federation, the most powerful institution representing the country’s rural areas, has broken with its traditional support for Republican presidents, warning Trump he’s making a mistake. “For the third straight year, farmers are losing money on almost every major crop planted,” it said earlier this month. “Adding even more costs and reducing markets for American agricultural goods could create an economic burden some farmers may not be able to bear.”

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Argentina is the must-watch nation. It’s never previously threatened the US because local politics, via large export taxes on grains and oilseeds, curbed the full development of its agricultural sector. Ironically, Milei, a free-market-supporting politician who’s close to Trump, could be poised to unleash Argentina’s potential.

American farmers face many enemies — foreign and domestic. But, ultimately, the US rural electorate is getting what it voted for. READ MORE