U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, is among those hoping that some of the increased tariffs that president-elect Donald Trump is threatening may be just bluster. Some of Trump’s latest statements indicate a 25% increase in tariffs against Canadian and Mexican imports and a 10% hike on imports from China.
Trump is pressuring Canada and Mexico to stop undocumented migrants from coming through their countries to the U.S. borders. And Trump wants China to stop fentanyl from entering the United States by cracking down on some of the key ingredients that come from China.
RELATED: Politico looked at how much the United States relies on Canada, Mexico, and China as trade partners and what higher tariffs on their goods could mean. Read that story here.
A trade war disturbs Grassley, a longtime U.S. senator and family farmer in northeast Iowa. “I'm concerned about the potential of it,” Grassley said Tuesday to reporters in Washington, D.C.
However, Grassley added that he hopes that Trump is bluffing and won’t trigger such dramatic changes, which could raise prices for both agricultural producers and consumers.
“I think you got to see it as a negotiating tool,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday morning.
RELATED: Dr. Ernie Goss, a Creighton University economist told American Farmland Owner that he also hopes that Trump won’t ignite a global trade war. Watch that conversation here.
One of the few farmers in Congress, Grassley frequently laments a lack of focus on a new Farm Bill. As a Republican in the senate, he found himself in the minority (although, that changes in January when Republicans will hold the majority of seats in the chamber).
Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabinow chairs the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. Stabinow, 74, is finishing her final term in the senate.
The Farm Bill -- which is actually an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill that expired in 2023 -- expired in September (although, funding for some of its provisions doesn’t end until December 31st).
Stabenow finally released a text of her committee’s version for a new Farm Bill on November 18th, leaving the two chambers little time to find compromise before year’s end.
Farm Policy News laid out why there is little hope that the Republican-led house and the Democratic-led senate will reach agreement on a new five-year Farm Bill before year’s end. It seems much more likely that Congress will extend the current extension and wait until Republicans control both chambers next year to see if that arrangement proves more successful for a new longer-term agreement. Read that story here.
Grassley’s home state of Iowa is a top corn producer but not the type of corn that researchers at the University of Missouri are studying. They are looking at the health benefits of dark purple corn. The corn is called Maiz Morado and typically found in South America.
Researchers have been comparing the health benefits of blue, red, and purple maize versus traditional yellow dent corn. Their research so far shows that purple may provide the highest health benefits. The purple version offers more antioxidants and flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins.
Will more American producers make the switch to purple corn as a value-added commodity for the future as consumers crave more nutritious versions of food? It won’t be that simple – at least not right away – to make that change.
Researchers point out the challenges of growing Maiz Morado in the United States as a hurdle to overcome.
