Today, Brian Kuehl, Executive Director of Farmers for Free Trade, issued the following statement after the Department of Commerce released its report on a Section 232 investigation on steel and aluminum imports. The Commerce Department report recommends major new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum.
“Everyone agrees we need to hold our trading partners accountable, but taking unilateral action to raise tariffs often comes with harmful unintended consequences. History shows those consequences are most often paid by American farmers. If the President follows through on these tariffs it could escalate trade tensions rather than resolve them, putting U.S. agricultural exports in the cross-hairs.
“The agriculture sector knows from experience that our ag exports are the first to be hit by retaliation. Whether it's our chickens in retaliation for tariffs on Chinese tires, or U.S. apples and wine exports as a result of a Mexican trucking dispute, historically, agriculture always has the biggest target on its back. The fact that China just targeted U.S. sorghum is only the most recent example. We urge the President to consider the very real price our farmers and ranchers would end up paying if we continue to escalate back and forth reprisals that close off global markets.”