Local News
Toft, Kind disagree on tariffs, trade war talk
In the midst of negotiations in Washington over a new farm bill aimed at security for the nation’s farmers, farmers themselves are increasingly alarmed at potential damaging impacts of retaliatory tariffs and a Trump-spawned trade war.
Republican congressional candidate Steve Toft says he’s heard those concerns while campaigning in western Wisconsin.
He believes farmers see through the rhetoric.
“The ones that have been staying up with it on the news understand that this is probably a negotiation strategy,” Toft said.
But after the Trump administration moved to slap 25% tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods, Democratic congressman Ron Kind expressed different views.
“Once again, this Administration has shown a complete disregard for Wisconsin’s farmers, workers and families,” Kind said in a statement in response to the tariff announcement today and China’s promises of retaliation.
That retaliation is a bad sign, said Kind. “It is clear we are now in the throes of a trade war with the world’s second largest economy.”
Kind has sharply criticized the Trump administration for the trade policies that have spawned retaliatory tariffs on major Wisconsin commodities like pork, cheese and cranberries.