DES MOINES, Iowa – During a press conference on Tuesday in Washington, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called on the Trump administration to complete lingering trade deals and end the tariffs.
“One in five jobs in Iowa is tied directly to trade. This is an area where our manufacturers and our farmers and ranchers are very, very interested in, but right now the tariffs that we have on products are overwhelming and it is hurting our farm and agricultural income,” Ernst said.
“So I continue to visit with the President about these issues, encouraging him not only to get the trade deals done as soon as possible, in particular, USMCA, and long-term China we need those done but also to remove those tariffs so we can move forward. Particularly harmful is the section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. Manufacturers are having a hard time with that right now,” she noted.
“When I was crossing the state, visiting with many young farmers and one young couple, in particular, they are so proud to be family farmers. They have a hog operation, but what they have been forced to do is take off-farm employment, non-agricultural employment, because of the tariff issue. A lot of these young farmers, young families, are really, really struggling. So we want to make sure that we are seeing resolution there.
“But we really need to put some pressure on the Democrats as well. They need to be willing to come to the table, sit down, and work through these trade issues,” Ernst added.
She called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to bring USMCA up for a vote in the House so the Senate can take it up.
Watch her remarks below: