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Potential tariffs weighing on farmers

The potential for the next Trump administration to impose tariffs on America’s top trade partners is weighing on the ag industry.                  

Mary Kay Thatcher, head lobbyist for Syngenta, says new threats of tariffs from President-elect Trump are cause for concern.

“Well, the president-elect came out in the last 24 hours and said he intended on day one to implement 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada until they stopped letting illegals in to the US and until they stop drugs coming through.”  She says, “Then to put another additional 10% tariff on China. So, he just hit our three top markets.”

Kenny Hartman, Jr., Illinois farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, tells Brownfield…

“I have obviously got concerns with tariffs.”  He says, “I mean right now Mexico is our #1 customer for corn. Canada buys a lot of ethanol from us. We’re definitely hoping that we can keep working together with these countries because obviously they’re our neighbors and we want to sell our products to them.”

Thatcher says response to the latest threats has been swift.

“It didn’t take Mexico very long at all for the president there to say she intended to retaliate.”  She says, “She wasn’t going to take it laying down.”

Brownfield spoke with both at the annual meeting of the Illinois Corn Growers Association in Bloomington.

AUDIO: Mary Kay Thatcher – Syngenta