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Wisconsin farmer: U.S. soybean trade strategy needs stable markets

A Wisconsin soybean farmer says he would like the Trump administration’s trade strategy to focus on finding new markets for U.S. soybeans and enforcing trade deals.

“Having those markets locked in, having signed deals and something behind it so they can’t back out of them at the last minute. So when we have a deal we know that those soybeans are going to go to those markets,” says Doug Rebout, president of the Wisconsin Soybean Association.

Rebout attended the State of the Union on Tuesday. He tells Brownfield President Trump didn’t say much that he didn’t already know. Rebout says he’s not a fan of the recent trade tariffs because soybean farmers are caught in the middle.

In his address, Trump said tariffs will continue to be used as a beneficial trade strategy for the United States, and the already negotiated deals are expected to remain in place with almost all countries.

“Knowing that the legal power that I, as president, have to make a new deal could be far worse for them. And therefore, they will continue to work along the same successful path that we had negotiated before the Supreme Court’s unfortunate involvement,” said Trump.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently said Trump is unable to issue broad tariffs with emergency powers, but the president has since increased global tariffs to 15 percent using other statutes.

Trump also talked about food affordability, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and immigration in his State of the Union address.