U-S Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who visited Iowa Monday, says the Trump Administration is planning another round of market disruption payments if the tariffs the president plans to announce lead to a downturn in ag exports.
Rollins, though, says there’s less money available for the payments than there were in the first Trump Administration when U-S ag exports to China fell due to a trade dispute.
The trade-related payments to U-S farmers during the first Trump Administration were spread over three years and ultimately surpassed 23 BILLION dollars. Rollins told reporters the president’s next set of tariffs policies are still “to be determined,” but she’s begun planning for payments to farmers should the tariffs impact ag commodities.
Rollins says Trump has believed for decades that America and its products and goods get a raw deal on the world stage and he needs to change that.
Rollins was confirmed as U-S Agriculture secretary on February 13th and she says expanding overseas markets for U-S meat and grain is one of her top priorities.
Rollins visited an ethanol plant in Atlantic Monday morning and toured a hog facility near Waukee Monday afternoon before making her way to Newton for a meeting at a hybrid seed company. She also spoke Monday night at the annual Iowa Ag Leaders banquet.
