While Donald Trump has finally chosen his Agriculture secretary, U.S. farmers, especially those in California, worry about Trump's policies and the possible trade war they could start.
This comes after the recent news that Trump plans to pay for his border wall between Mexico and the US by issuing a tax on goods going into Mexico. Farmers worry this could cut their earnings as they do a great deal of trade with Mexico and rely on that trade to get by. They warn that the tax would also hit consumers.
California farmers lead the state in agricultural revenue and rely on foreign trading partners more than any other state. Around 44% of the total agricultural revenue came from foreign trade, totalling $21 billion dollars, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
“The U.S.-Mexico trade relationship is very important. We would be concerned to see that relationship negatively affected,” said Ken Barbic, senior director of federal government affairs for Western Growers Assn., an agricultural industry group.
Mexico supplied the U.S. with more than $5 billion in fresh vegetables, $1.4 billion in processed fruits and vegetables and $4.5 billion in fruit, according to the USDA. All of these products could be subject to taxes in retaliation to a US tax.
source: latimes.com
