Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester is introducing legislation that aims to help an agriculture industry hurt by recent changes in global trade.
Delaware farmers are taking a financial hit because of tariffs on their crops prompted by U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and Chinese imports into this country.
Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse says the First State has lost about $28 million so far because of the corn and soybean tariffs.
Blunt Rochester said the Trade Adjustment Assistance program currently covers just imports and doesn’t address the circumstances farmers now find themselves in.
“What we haven’t focused on is what do you do in a situation like this where a trade war might happen and impact our exports,” she said.
But Blunt Rochester said her bill provide a more permanent fix for farmers, growers and producers now and in the future.
“Our goal here was really to create a vehicle to allow a long-term permanent fix to assist farmers in cases such as this,” she said.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $12 billion in emergency aid to American farmers as a short-term fix to tariff related losses.
Scuse said the USDA has indicated farmers can start signing up for the emergency assistance in September.
