President Trump threatens tariffs on Brazil and Argentina

Dec 02, 2019

The countries’ devaluation of currency hurts farmers, the president said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

President Trump wants to reinstate tariffs to steel and aluminum imports from two South American countries.

Steel and aluminum products from Brazil and Argentina could face the import duties, the president said in a series of tweets Monday.

“Brazil and Argentina have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies, which is not good for our farmers,” President Trump tweeted. “Therefore, effective immediately, I will restore the Tariffs on all Steel & Aluminum that is shipped into the U.S. from those countries.”

Brazil and Argentina have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies. which is not good for our farmers. Therefore, effective immediately, I will restore the Tariffs on all Steel & Aluminum that is shipped into the U.S. from those countries. The Federal....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2019

In June 2018, President Trump placed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum from multiple countries.

Any formal notice of tariffs would have to come from the Treasury or Commerce Departments, or the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

When a country devalues its currency, it “makes it hard for our manufacturers & farmers to fairly export their goods,” the president added.

Brazilian officials are confident they can come to a resolution with President Trump before any tariffs are implemented.

“I’m going to call him so that he doesn’t penalize us … Our economy basically comes from commodities, it’s what we’ve got,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters Monday, Reuters reported. “I hope that (President Trump) understands and that he doesn’t penalize us with this, and I’m almost certain he’ll listen to us.”

Farms.com has reached out to U.S. farm groups for comment.

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.