Idaho Farmers weigh in on Trump administration proposed tariffs

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - In his Tuesday night address to Congress, President Donald Trump pledged the new US trade policy would be "great for the American farmer" and announced tariffs will go on agricultural imports to the United States. Now, Idaho farmers are commenting on what's next as Trump-era tariffs take effect on April 2.

Farmer Adam Young tells Local News 8 there's been a growing concern among members of the ag industry over whether or not Trump would move ahead with the tariffs, as well as what that will mean for Idaho farmers selling Idaho products overseas.

"We not only rely on international trade for the inputs that we receive, for fertilizers, for machinery, for example. But we rely on open trade between several countries to be able to get our products out," Young told Local News 8. "So the concern that I have, and the ag industry as a whole has, is that the minute we start slapping tariffs on foreign countries, that invites them to retaliate."

President Trump also told farmers on Tuesday night, "Bear with me again, and this will be even better."

Blackfoot alfalfa farmer Jacob Dewey says if the new plan turns out to be a bumpy ride, there's a reason for it.

"I do think that we've had bipartisan failure for a long time on a lot of these issues regarding farmers," he said. "I don't know at this point that it's gone so far that it won't be painful.  And I liken the tariffs to working out, you know, if you want to build a muscle, you have to tear those sinews. It's going to hurt for a minute, but then it's going to build back and be and be stronger."