E&E News’ Marc Heller reported that “thousands of workers have taken the Trump administration’s second buyout offer at the Department of Agriculture, as the Trump administration continues to shrink the nearly 100,000-employee agency.” “Employees who’ve seen internal numbers at the USDA indicate the count has reached 3,100 takers at the Forest Service, around 1,200 at […]
Politics
China Announces 34% Retaliatory Tariffs on US Goods
CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache reported that “China’s finance ministry on Friday said it will impose a 34% tariff on all goods imported from the U.S. starting on April 10, following duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this week, according to state news outlet Xinhua.” “‘China urges the United States to immediately cancel its […]
Trump Implements Sweeping Tariffs Ranging from 10% to 49%
Agri-Pulse’s Oliver Ward reported that “President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new 10% across-the-board tariff in addition to reciprocal duties that will apply to specific trade partners, including China, the European Union, Japan and South Korea. At an event in the Rose Garden Wednesday dubbed, ‘Make America Wealthy Again,’ and with his cabinet in […]
Reciprocal Tariffs Expected Today, Details Remain Unknown
Reuters’ Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt reported that “the White House confirmed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will impose new tariffs on Wednesday, though it provided no details about the size and scope of trade barriers that have businesses, consumers and investors fretting about an intensifying global trade war.” “Trump has for weeks trumpeted […]
Reciprocal Tariffs Expected on ‘All Countries’ April 2
Reuters’ Andrea Shalal reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs he is set to announce this week will include all nations, not just a smaller group of 10 to 15 countries with the biggest trade imbalances.” “Trump has promised to unveil a massive tariff plan on Wednesday, which he has […]
USDA Releasing Frozen Rural Energy Funds — With Stipulations
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Rebekah Alvey, and Noah Wicks reported Wednesday that “the Agriculture Department is lifting a freeze on clean energy funding programs but giving awardees 30 days to modify their proposals to remove climate and DEI considerations and bring the projects in line with the Trump administration’s policy for increasing U.S. energy production.” “The action […]
Poll Shows Waning Farmer Support for Trump Tariffs
Farmer support for President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs may be decreasing, according to an internet poll released on March 24 by AgWeb. That poll of roughly 3,000 self-identified farmers showed that 54% of respondents said they do not support Trump’s continued use of tariffs as a negotiation tool. “The poll then followed-up by asking, […]
USDA Ordered to Reinstate 5,000+ Probationary Workers
Bloomberg Law’s Courtney Rozen reported Wednesday that “thousands of Department of Agriculture employees terminated under the Trump administration will return to their positions for now, after an independent commission said their firing broke the laws that shield career staff from political influence.” “The Merit Systems Protection Board, which mediates disputes between federal agencies and their […]
Canada & Mexico Tariffs Take Effect, China Hits Back at US Ag
The Associated Press’ Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Rob Gillies reported that “President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies.” “Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be […]
China Readying Tariff Countermeasures on US Agriculture
Reuters’ Joe Cash, Mei Mei Chu and Xiuhao Chen reported that “China has American agricultural exports in its cross hairs as it prepares countermeasures against fresh U.S. import tariffs, China’s state-backed Global Times reported, raising the stakes in an escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies.” “U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened […]
Canada and Mexico Tariffs Will Start March 4, Trump Confirms
Reuters’ Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal and David Lawder reported that “U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods will take effect on Tuesday, along with an extra 10% duty on Chinese imports because deadly drugs are still pouring into the U.S. from those countries.” “The fresh China […]
Lawmakers Worry House Budget Plan Could Tank New Farm Bill
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Monday that “key House Republicans are growing increasingly worried that planned cuts to a popular food aid program under the GOP’s reconciliation package could sink hopes for a new farm bill at a time when the party is in a strong position to shape the legislation.” The budget plan that was […]
USDA Releasing $20 Million of Frozen Conservation Funds
Reuters’ P.J. Huffstutter reported that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture will release approximately $20 million in funding for previously approved contracts that had been frozen by the Trump administration’s push to overhaul the federal government, the agency said late on Thursday.” “The sum represents a tiny sliver of program funding the USDA suspended after the […]
Mass Federal Firings Hit Agriculture Agencies
Agri-Pulse’s Philip Brasher, Noah Wicks, Steve Davies, and Lydia Johnson reported this past week that “the Trump administration’s mass firing of probationary federal employees has swept out workers across USDA, including loan analysts in Farm Service Agency field offices, ag scientists, and about 1,200 staff of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, according to sources.” “The […]
USDA Freezes Conservation, Other Direct Farmer Funding
Reuters’ P.J. Huffstutter and Leah Douglas reported Saturday that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture has frozen some funding for farmers as it goes through a sweeping review, despite assurances from the Trump administration that programs helping farmers would not be affected in the government overhaul. The impact has been immediate and wide-ranging, from cash assistance […]
Mexico Readying Retaliatory Tariffs, Potentially Targeting US Ag
Reuters’ Diego Oré reported that “Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday she does not believe the United States will impose tariffs on Saturday as President Donald Trump has pledged, but said her administration has its own response plan in place if needed.” “‘We don’t think it’s going to happen,’ Sheinbaum said at her regular […]
US, Colombia Avoid Trade War Over Deportations
Reuters’ Phil Stewart and Oliver Griffin reported Monday morning that “the U.S. and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday after the White House said the South American nation had agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.” “U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions on Colombia to […]
USDA Nominee Rollins Pledges Farmer Aid In Case of Trade War
Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported that “agriculture secretary nominee Brooke Rollins told senators on Thursday that USDA would be prepared to again provide aid to farmers if they face retaliatory tariffs as President Donald Trump implements his trade policies.” “Despite concerns about farmworkers being deported, Rollins also told senators she supports Trump’s border and mass-deportation […]
Trump Preparing 10% Tariff on China in February
Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove and Hadriana Lowenkron reported Tuesday that “President Donald Trump widened his tariff threats to include China and the European Union on his second day back in office after day one saw Canada and Mexico in his sights.” “‘We’re talking about a tariff of 10% on China, based on the fact that they’re […]
Trump Says Canada, Mexico May Get 25% Tariff by Feb. 1
Reuters’ David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw reported Monday evening that “President Donald Trump did not immediately impose tariffs on Monday as previously promised but said he was thinking about imposing 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 over illegal immigrants and fentanyl crossing into the U.S.” “As he was […]