AGRICULTURE/TARIFFS/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “More financial assistance is on the way for farmers and ranchers hurt by retaliation from foreign governments in trade disputes with the United States. President Donald Trump said Monday [12-17-18] he has authorized Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to launch the second and final round of payments from a $12 billion aid package he promised last July to farmers slammed by tariffs…The program provides payments to almond, cotton, corn, dairy, hog, sorghum, soybean, fresh sweet cherry and wheat producers who have lost much of their export sales because of retaliatory actions by foreign governments, particularly China…In September, the Agriculture Department announced the initial $4.7 billion in assistance payments. Farmers who already have applied, completed their harvest, and certified their 2018 production will be able to receive additional payments for the second half of their 2018 production. The first and second payments are estimated to total $9.5 billion. The program has come under fire from some agricultural sectors for being too small to offset the impact of a trade war with China.”
–Michael Collins and John Fritze, “Trump approves additional financial help for US farmers hurt by ongoing trade war,” USA Today, December 17, 2018 5:48 pm