Wisconsin Soybean Association demands Trump end tariff war
'It is a direct assault on the livelihoods of U.S. farm families.'
Doug Rebout has had enough.
In a stark statement released on Friday, the Wisconsin Soybean Association President denounced recent decisions by President Donald Trump that he says are devastating Wisconsin farmers.
“Wisconsin soybean farmers are fed up,” the statement read. “The U.S. government’s decision to extend a $20 billion swap line to Argentina, just as China rushed to purchase 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans, underscores the damage our own leaders are inflicting on American agriculture.”
Rebout said soybean growers have carried the weight of a costly and prolonged trade war with China, by far the biggest soybean customer for Wisconsin farmers. Now, he says, American competitors in Brazil and now Argentina are taking advantage of U.S. policy choices to seize the markets state farmers built over decades.
“This is not simply unfortunate timing,” the statement read. “It is a direct assault on the livelihoods of U.S. farm families.”
Rebout insists his organization is merely seeking fairness.
“While our soybeans pile up unsold and prices sink, our government has chosen to funnel billions into a competing nation, only to watch their soybeans sail straight to China,” he wrote. “This decision is indefensible, and it signals to rural America that our contributions to food security, trade and the broader economy are being taken for granted.”
The statement concluded with a call on Trump to immediately end the trade war with China so that Wisconsin farmers can regain their vital market there.
“Anything less is unacceptable,” the statement concluded.
