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Using tariffs as a trade tool

A U.S. Senator from Ohio says he’s supportive of President Trump’s use of tariffs as leverage. 

Jon Husted says the ag industry relies on strong relationships with the country’s largest trading partners.

“We make the food that they need to thrive, and I think that they’ll back away from those tariffs,” he says. “It’s bad for their people and it’s bad for American farmers.”

He tells Brownfield enforcing current trade policies is critical. 

“I think there’s three ways to do it,” he says. “Tough penalties. Tariffs on companies that are not USMCA compliant. More enforcement on those policies and an upgrade of the amount of US content that needs to be done to comply with this.”

Husted says the upcoming talks to revisit USMCA in 2026 could create another opportunity for the U.S. to further define its expectations for fair trade.