Farmers Bear the Brunt of President’s Trade Tariffs, Lawmakers Warn

Congressional Democrats are challenging President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada without congressional approval, warning that retaliatory measures could severely impact American farmers.

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, has introduced a resolution to curb presidential power in imposing tariffs under national emergency claims. Speaking at a trade subcommittee hearing, she criticized Republican colleagues for allowing the President to bypass Congress on trade policy.

“My Republican colleagues used to agree that Congress—not the President—controls trade policy,” DelBene said. “Yet, if these 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico take effect, we would, in essence, be withdrawing from the USMCA, which Congress overwhelmingly approved.”

The economic consequences for farmers remain a primary concern. Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa—states with the highest number of farmers—face disproportionate risks. DelBene questioned whether enough is being done to protect agricultural producers from the fallout of a trade war.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) reinforced these concerns, highlighting that “farmers and ranchers suffer the most when their goods are subject to foreign retaliatory tariffs.” He suggested that the tariffs serve as a revenue source rather than a strategic trade tool, potentially offsetting the impact of tax cuts benefiting corporations and the wealthy.

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), chair of the trade subcommittee, has expressed mixed views. While he acknowledges the potential harm to agriculture, he also credited Trump for negotiating the USMCA. In a previous statement, he suggested tariffs may not punish foreign nations without harming American consumers.

Letter to Lutnik

Democratic members of the House Agriculture Committee sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressing concern over the impact of a trade war on US farmers.

Right now, across the country, many farmers are beginning to calve and are preparing for planting season. The last thing they need is uncertainty about whether fertilizer and energy prices will shoot up or if they can move their cattle across the northern border to feedlots in Canada,” the lawmakers wrote.

“There is nothing fun about tariffs for farmers. The more the Administration threatens to implement and then remove tariffs the less reliable we appear. This leads to an unstable business environment and harms our credibility with our neighbors.”

The letter continues, “American farmers have fought hard for decades to gain access to foreign markets, and they rely on partnerships with our allies in North America to be successful and turn a profit. The Administration’s current stance on trade policy is a bad deal for farmers and a bad deal for Americans. We urge you to pursue trade negotiation through established channels and abandon the chaotic approach to tariffs that the administration has employed.”

Full Letter [Here]

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The USDA reports U.S. imports of Turkish table/breaking chicken eggs (HS 040721) slightly more than doubled in 2024 to 6.2 million dozen eggs and Turkish industry reports that it has already contracted to ship about 460 million (38.3 million dozen) eggs to the United States during the first half of this year.