April 10, 2025

Administration Discussing Farmer Tariff Relief Package

The White House and congressional lawmakers have begun discussing a tariff relief package. The talks are starting as agricultural trade groups continue to warn elected officials about the economic repercussions of tariffs. “We’re setting up the infrastructure that if, in fact, we have some short-term economic consequences for our farmers and ranchers, we’ll have programs in place to help,” Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins told Fortune. She also told CNN that the administration will be prepared in case of ‘longer-term damage’ by lining up funds with lawmakers. During a trade war in President Trump’s first term, U.S. farmers were hit hard, forcing the USDA to authorize $23 billion in assistance to crop, livestock, and fruit and vegetable producers. The ag secretary wouldn’t be specific about how much money the USDA might need to make farmers whole. “We’ve got the same team that built the first program under Sonny Perdue,” she added. 

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New Tariff Deals by Week’s End

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins predicted that some new deals could be reached on trade tariffs as soon as the end of this week. Reuters says President Donald Trump imposed a ten percent baseline tariff on all imports into the U.S. and higher duties on other countries that include some of America’s largest trade partners. China retaliated on U.S. tariffs with some of its own, so the White House said Tuesday that 104 percent duties on Chinese imports would begin shortly after midnight Wednesday. That announcement came out as the administration moved quickly to start talks with other trading partners targeted by tariffs. “I believe, sincerely, it’s going to be sooner rather than later,” Rollins said Tuesday. “I believe we’ll be hearing about new deals being struck, perhaps by the end of this week.” She added that 70 countries had already reached out to talk trade and tariffs with the U.S.

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Pork Producers Applaud Legislation Protecting Food and Farmers

Duane Stateler, president of the National Pork Producers Council, reacted positively to the introduction of the Food Security and Farm Production Act into the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Roger Marshall (R-KS), would avert a disastrous patchwork of contradictory state-by-state farm regulations that would hit small and medium-sized pork producers the hardest. “We sincerely thank the senators for standing up for the American pork producer, especially during these times of uncertainty,” Stateler said. “U.S. pork producers have just suffered the worst 18 months of financial losses in history, and many farm families are contemplating whether they’ll get to pass their farm along to the next generation.” Bipartisan support for relief is growing. Without the certainty the Act would provide, sponsors say there will be a significant chance of increased prices at the grocery store, as much as 41 percent for certain pork products.

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White House Considering Adjustments to Port Fee Plan

The Trump administration is considering a different plan for fees on Chinese ships visiting U.S. ports. The Economic Times says significant pushback against the plan came from industries that all said the idea would bring economic devastation. The changes being considered include delaying the plan implementation and a new fee structure that would lower the cost for Chinese ships to visit U.S. ports. The subject came up during U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s testimony at a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing this week. He told the lawmakers that not all of the proposed multi-million-dollar fees for Chinese ships to dock at U.S. ports would be implemented and might not be cumulative. The USTR office had suggested fees that could top $3 million per port call in the U.S. for those Chinese-built ships. The administration says the fees would halt China’s growing maritime influence and help promote America’s domestic maritime industry. 

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Don’t Forget Crop Protection Signup Deadline 

There’s no question that farmers always have a lot to do. With everything stacked up on the to-do list, it can be easy to forget to sign up for USDA’s farm safety net programs. However, the deadline is rapidly approaching. The Farm Service Agency’s Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs are two key safety net programs created to protect farmers from significant crop losses due to fluctuations in crop prices or revenue. Time is growing short, so the agency says, don’t delay. Farmers must make elections and enroll by April 15, 2025. The quickest way to do that is to reach out to your local FSA office. Make the most of the office visit by signing up for key FSA programs, including the new Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, checking on loan activity, and learning more about disaster assistance programs. To apply or learn about eligible commodities, visit fsa.gov. 

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Lawmakers Launch the Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus

Representatives Jill Tokuda (toe-KOO-dah) (D-HI) and William Timmons (R-SC) launched the Congressional Coffee Caucus. The goal is to work together to highlight coffee’s positive impact on the U.S. economy and help strengthen the resilience of the crop’s global supply chain. “Coffee is more than just a daily ritual – it’s a vital pillar of our economy,” Tokuda said. “From the fields in Hawaii to the roasteries and manufacturing plants in South Carolina and Vermont, coffee is consumed and enjoyed in every congressional district in the nation.” She also says coffee supports millions of farmers, businesses, and communities across the country and around the world. Focus areas of the caucus include increasing agricultural resilience by strengthening and increasing research and development funding to assist coffee farmers domestically and globally. “Two-thirds of American adults drink coffee daily, so the National Coffee Association is grateful for the new Caucus,” says NCA President and CEO William Murray.

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