With new tariffs against China going into effect September 27, American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Director of Government Affairs Dave Salmonsen wonders what the retaliation from China will look like. “Anytime you put a tariff on a product, you have to be concerned, and we’re always concerned, could there be some retaliation? The past experience was increased tariffs which hiked the price of our products into that foreign market, and directly impacted prices our farmers receive back here in the U.S.” Salmonsen says tariffs are part of most countries’ trade agreements and likely aren’t going away any time soon. “Countries want to nurture their own industries and don’t want to have to completely rely on exports. So, use of tariffs is a tool. I think we’ll see it at least in this arena for a while to come.”
