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Donald Trump has warned U.S. farmers to start upping their production from April 2, after announcing that he will soon be imposing tariffs on “external” agricultural products.
“To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
However, he did not specify what products would be subject to the tariffs or if there would be any exceptions.
In recent years, the U.S. has imported more agricultural products than it has exported. According to the USDA, in 2023, around $178 billion in products was exported – a $17 billion decrease from 2022.
Meanwhile, the value of imports has grown, resulting in America’s agriculture trade deficit rising to a record $49 billion this year, according to last week’s forecast by the USDA.
At least half of the value in U.S. agricultural imports are in horticultural products – a broad category that includes fruits, vegetables, spirits, wine, essential oils, tree nuts and more. Sugar, coffee, cocoa, and other tropical products account for around 15 percent of imports.
Since taking office, the president has been determined to crack down on the U.S.’s reliance on imports through tariffs, specifically targeting Canada and Mexico – two of America’s largest trade partners.
The president said on Monday that the sweeping 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports would begin on Tuesday. Though they were initially postponed in February, Trump said there was “no room left” for negotiations with the countries.
Mexico shipped $45.4 billion of agricultural products to the US in 2023, accounting for about 23 percent of imports and making the country the US’s largest supplier, according to the USDA.
Canada and the European Union sent a combined $73 billion in crops to the US, Bloomberg reported.
Trump’s announcement of tariffs on “external” agricultural products comes shortly after the administration unveiled plans to invest $1 billion in a new strategy to mitigate the impacts of bird flu, which has raised egg prices and slowed milk production across the U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins previously defended Trump’s plans to use tariffs to protect U.S. farm interests. “His idea of using tariffs in his tool kit has proven very successful the first time. I have no doubt it will be successful again,” Rollins told reporters last week.
Source: independent.co.uk
