Anti-tariff blitz

Farm groups go on anti-tariff blitz after Trump offers trade aid

By ADAM BEHSUDI

Farm groups are going on the offensive with a multimillion-dollar advertising and advocacy campaign against President Donald Trump’s tariffs just days after the administration rolled out a $12 billion bailout for farmers harmed by a mounting trade war.

The launch of the campaign also comes as Trump is due to be in Iowa and Illinois on Thursday, where he is likely to reassure farmers growing increasingly anxious over trade retaliation that has targeted soybeans, pork and other major farm commodities.

“Agriculture is a giant and it takes a while to wake it up, but when it wakes up you better watch out,” said Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, which is organizing the campaign.

The nonprofit group, which is backed by the American Farm Bureau Federation and major commodity groups like the National Pork Producers Council, is investing $2.5 million in the four-month campaign aimed at showcasing how the tariffs are causing pain among U.S. farmers and manufacturers because of Trump’s trade policies.

The centerpiece of the campaign is an advertisement set to run on Fox News, CNBC and CNN and in local television and radio markets in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Michigan. The ad calls out White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s July 19 remarks where he called the impact of tariffs a “rounding error.”

“America’s farmers and factory workers are not a rounding error,” the ad says.

The organization will also deploy digital and print advertising as well as town hall events starting during the August congressional recess to get the attention of lawmakers back in their home states and districts.

China, Canada, the European Union, Mexico and other major trading partners have hit the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs responding to Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum. China has also responded to a separate tariff action targeting Beijing for policies the administration says have led theft and forced transfer of valuable U.S. technology.

Trump has threatened to up the ante with tariffs on imports of automobiles and auto parts, which would likely invite even tougher retaliation on U.S. agriculture producers.

Tensions between the U.S. and EU were eased somewhat after a meeting on Wednesday between Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker resulted in a promise to begin trade talks in earnest. Trump agreed to hold off on tariffs on autos and other goods, but U.S. tariffs on imports of European steel and aluminum will remain in place. Brussels will continue to retaliate against $3.3 billion worth of U.S. goods, including agriculture products like orange juice and bourbon.

In response to the trade disputes, the Agriculture Department announced on Tuesday a $12 billion aid package that would provide direct payments, purchase excess supply and increase export promotion efforts.

“I think ultimately it’s a political play,” said Kuehl. “[Trump] understands he is hurting middle America and he is throwing money at the problem."

The advocacy campaign is not the first from the group, following an initial anti-tariff ad campaign rolled out in March. Farmers for Free Trade was formed last year by several agriculture industry groups in response to the president’s potential withdrawal from NAFTA and other trade policies that could be detrimental to agricultural exports. The group is co-chaired by former Democratic Montana Sen. Max Baucus and former Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican.

Other groups have also put considerable resources into anti-tariff campaigns, including a multimillion-dollar effort launched last month by free market organizations supported by the Koch political network. A group called Republicans Fighting Tariffs also rolled out a new ad on Wednesday that cites President Ronald Reagan’s support for free trade. It will air first on Fox Business.