Contact: Aaron White
Phone: 202-225-5506
Aaron.White@mail.house.gov

La Crosse – Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind reiterated his call on Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to protect Wisconsin farmers facing economic uncertainty after the recent announcements of tariff retaliation by many major U.S. trading partners, including of China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union.  Rep. Kind has also requested a comprehensive plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open new U.S. export markets.

“Wisconsin farmers are the hardest working in the country. The last thing they need to be worried about is unfair tariffs being placed on their products – especially considering the tariffs are the direct consequence of bad trade policy,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “I am calling on Secretary Perdue to uphold his promise to defend our farmers, and create a plan to keep our farms and markets open.”

In the past several weeks, Wisconsin agriculture exports, including cheese, cranberries, soybeans and kidney beans, have been the target of retaliatory tariffs by previous historical trading partners, including China, Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. The Wisconsin agricultural economy generates $88.3 billion annually, and provides over 400,000 jobs. Any uncertainty of economic security would be devastating to Wisconsin’s economy.

Rep. Kind has also called on the President and the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, to create and immediately implement protections for farmers facing the threat or impacts of trade retaliation. He has also called on the Administration to abandon their go-it-alone approach, and instead work with our trade allies to create a comprehensive strategy to bring bad actors like China to the table to address trade issues, and protect Wisconsin jobs.

Read the letter here.

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