The president delivered remarks in front of Congress on Tuesday
President Trump touted his trade policies during his speech to Congress on March 5.
Putting America first will help farmers, he said.
“Our new trade policy will also be great for the American farmer,” he told Congress. “I love the farmer, who will now be selling into our home market, the USA, because nobody is gonna be able to compete with you.”
The president’s speech on Tuesday came on the same day tariffs went into effect on goods coming in from China, Mexico, and Canada.
On March 3, the president told the ag industry that tariffs on “external product” would be effective in the beginning of April.
President Trump doubled down on that promise during his speech to members of Congress.
“The tariffs will go on agricultural product coming into America and our, our farmers starting on April 2nd—it may be a little bit of an adjustment period,” he said, noting that farmers stuck with him in his previous term while negotiating with China. “Probably have to bear with me again and this will be even better.”
“So, to our farmers, have a lot of fun. I love you too. I love you too. It’s all gonna happen.”
Some producers favor this move.
Andrew Leimgruber, a fourth-generation producer from California’s Imperial Valley, is one.
U.S. farmers have a hard time competing with countries like Mexico that don’t have similar standards.
So, while there is concern about retaliation from other trading partners, this trade policy is an overall benefit for U.S. ag, he told Fox News.
“This gives us the advantage and the opportunity to be in those markets again. And I truly believe it’s a national security issue that American produces the food that we eat here domestically at home,” he said.
Other farmers have a different view of the president’s trade policies.
The American Soybean Association, for example, said in a statement that “tariffs are not something to take lightly and ‘have fun’ with,” because they hurt farmers’ bottom lines and cause uncertainty in trade markets.
Prior to the tariffs coming into effect, Farms.com spoke with University of Arizona Ag Economist George Frisvold about what tariffs are, who pays them, and where that money goes.
President Trump begins talking about farmers around the 43:08 mark of the video.