Democratic Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson accused President Trump of putting farmers in the crossfire of his administration’s trade war with China.
The comment followed the Trump administration’s announcement Friday that it provide aid to farmers after hiking tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% across the board, a move expected to elicit retaliation from Beijing.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to once again raise tariffs on Chinese goods does nothing but use our farmers as political pawns and further ourselves from a real solution. While I understand that the President believes he has good intentions on this, he’s doing it without understanding the impacts this has on farmers and our rural communities,” Peterson said Friday. Peterson represents a rural Minnesota district.
China is a major purchaser of U.S. agricultural goods. The Agriculture Department reported in late March that China had purchased 12.7 million metric tons of soybeans over the last year, down from an estimated 28.5 million over the same period last year.
Earlier Friday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue that the Trump administration would provide an unspecified amount of additional aide to farmers. “Just spoke with @POTUS — while China may backtrack, @POTUS is steadfast in his support for U.S. farmers and directed @USDA to work on a plan quickly. @POTUS loves his farmers and will not let them down!” Perdue tweeted Friday. POTUS refers to the president of the United States.
President Trump tweeted Friday that the talks were ongoing, but said he was not pushing for a quick conclusion either. In the meantime the U.S. would begin instituting 25% percent tariffs on an additional $325 billion worth of goods. “Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner – there is absolutely no need to rush – as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products,” he said. “These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S.”
China’s Commerce Ministry said that it “deeply regrets” the U.S. move and that it would respond, without elaborating on how.
