| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2025 Contact: [email protected] ICYMI: Farmers Say “Trade Chaos Hurts Farmers” Farmers Highlight Tariff Impacts on 2026 Farm Season Earlier this week, farmers from across the country joined a press call to discuss how tariffs and ongoing trade uncertainty are already shaping decisions for the 2026 farm season. With planning for 2026 well underway, producers described rising input costs, unstable export markets, and delayed investments driven by unpredictable tariff policy. Since April, the Trump administration has imposed across-the-board tariffs of 10%–50% on nearly all imports, with higher rates for dozens of countries and industries. The average effective tariff rate now stands at 16.8%, the highest since 1935. Watch The Press Call Here ● Agri-pulse: High input costs may delay farm investments despite Trump administration’s focus [Aaron Lehman, Farmer and President, Iowa Farmers Union] said that he is in favor of pushing for fairer trade terms with countries but argued that applying tariffs to advance that goal is like “trying to change a light bulb with a hammer.” The dire economic circumstances faced by many rural communities, Lehman argued, are stifling innovation and hampering efforts to improve efficiencies that could insulate farmers from future shocks. Instead of putting any extra funds back into the business, producers are using them to “stabilize” their current economic situation, he said. “We need to do a better job of asking for better from our elected leaders and our states and our communities,” he said. “Our members of Congress need to speak up loudly about the impact here on the ground and in our fields and in our communities, and they need to demand that Congress has a say in getting us to fair trade. They should get to work on the real issues that get us closer to that.” ● AgTechNavigator: ‘Trade chaos hurts farmers,’ Tariff turmoil upends planning for 2026 growing season “Congress needs to act in its capacity as a coequal branch of government when it comes to these tariffs,” said Nick Levendofsky, Executive Director, Kansas Farmers Union. “These tariffs that have been put forward by one person, by one side of our government, that is not how this was arranged under our laws, under global trading laws.” ● Farm Journal: U.S. Farmers Concerned With President Trump’s Threat of New Tariffs on EU Countries Farmers with Tariffs Cost U.S., a campaign highlighting the impact tariffs are having on rising input costs and lower farm profitability, stated in a news conference the tariffs could hurt U.S. grain exports, and their use to leverage purchasing Greenland is unprecedented. [Benjamin Peterson, farmer with E. L. Peterson Ranch in Montana] says there are also long-term repercussions that could keep countries from doing business with the U.S. “The long-term fact is it makes us an unreliable trading partner, and unreliable trading partners mean they don’t want to work with us — not just now, that means ever,” he says. ● High Plains Journal: Farmers decry tariff impacts Benjamin Peterson, a third-generation rancher in Montana who runs the E.L. Peterson Ranch, grows wheat, barley, hay, and operates a feedlot. “I’m trying to plan for the current planting year,” he said, but has had to pause or halt those plans due to the effect of tariffs. He said due to the rise in fertilizer prices, his operation has shifted emphasis from crops to beef. “Lots of folks in Montana are considering idle ground and leaving the wheat market,” he said. “Tariffs only benefit middle-market players with large capital who can take advantage of market swings,” he said. “That’s not us. We [producers] don’t get much say in global prices. Our job is risk management—but tariff swings make that job impossible.” As an example of rising input costs, he said a single dose of bovine respiratory vaccine rose from $3 to $6.50 a shot. ● Iowa Public Radio: Iowa ag activist says Trump tariff policy is chaotic for farmers As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the legality of President Trump’s tariffs, several farm groups say the administration’s trade policy will have harmful, long-lasting effects. Aaron Lehman is a farmer and president of the Iowa Farmers Union. “This chaotic tariff policy is not getting us any closer to fair trade,” Lehman says. “We are no closer to stopping product dumping, manipulative monetary policies, uneven labor and environmental standards, and unfair labeling restrictions.” “Farmers already have few choices in the marketplace,” Lehman says, “and a chaotic trade policy makes a bad situation even worse.” ### About Tariffs Cost US Tariffs Cost US is a campaign dedicated to providing the public with reliable, comprehensive information about global trade and tariffs and their impact on both businesses and consumers. More information is available at tariffscostus.com. |
