Farmers Caught in Trump's Trade War Wait for Bailout. But Many Call It a Temporary Fix

By Joe Schulz

Farmers harvesting their crops this fall are also waiting to hear whether they can expect a check from the government.

The administration is reportedly eyeing $10 billion to $15 billion in aid to farmers. President Donald Trump has said that he’d like to use tax revenue generated by tariffs to provide relief for farmers, who’ve lost a key soybean market due to the trade war with China. Yet the expected announcement has been pushed back indefinitely in the midst of the federal government shutdown.

Matt Rehberg operates a farm near the Wisconsin-Illinois border and is the vice president of the Wisconsin Soybean Association.

He says the boycott from China — which purchased around half of all U.S. soybean exports last year — has made this year especially hard for soybean farmers. But he believes bailout programs are only a temporary solution.

“We want markets. Markets are consistent. We can bet on them,” he said. “When you go to these ad hoc bailout programs, they definitely help. But it's kind of like putting a Band-aid on a gunshot wound.”