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USDA trade war prep began months ago
Story Date: 4/13/2018
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/12/18
USDA has been discussing an emergency plan to aid farmers from retaliatory tariffs since the fall, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue confirmed on Wednesday after a hearing before the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee.
Perdue told reporters that the talks began shortly after the White House said it was starting two investigations: one into whether steel and aluminum imports posed a threat to national security and another into whether the Chinese government policies were forcing companies to transfer technology as a condition of doing business there, yours truly reports.
The secretary also said that he met with appropriators last year to discuss lifting restrictions on USDA's authority to use the Commodity Credit Corporation to aid farmers in the event of a trade war - which was accomplished in the recently enacted fiscal 2018 omnibus spending package, as POLITICO reported last week.
Lawmakers critical of 'handouts': Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), one of the most outspoken opponents of Trump's trade policies, was quick to slam the idea to use government supports as a response to tariffs. Spending billions of dollars on a new subsidy plan would be "misguided," Sasse said, describing the proposal as "Saturday-morning-cartoon central planning."
Trump calls them over: The president is hosting lawmakers and governors this morning to hear their concerns over his latest trade moves. White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters told Pro Trade's Adam Behsudi that the meeting would "discuss issues impacting the agricultural community including trade." The list of participants for the meeting, scheduled for 11 a.m., will include some predictable names including: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, as well as Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
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