Use of tariffs hurts farmers, reader says

Some time ago I sent you a letter predicting that if Trump won he would start a trade war and U.S. farmers would become cannon fodder on the front lines of that war. Given his previously stated views on foreign trade that seemed like a safe prediction to make. I’m certain nobody at HPJ believed my prediction. I’m even more certain that nobody will deny this is the situation that exists now.

There certainly are changes which need to be made in previous trade agreements, but slapping on new tariffs and starting trade wars with everybody is not the way to do this. U.S. farmers are going to pay a high price for this now and possibly long into the future. No government program will be able to fully compensate farmers for the loss of foreign sales, which will result from the huge trade war which is developing.

Considering how well Trump had previously made his views about foreign trade known, I have to wonder how many farmers would have voted for Trump if he had a D behind his name instead of an R for the election. Hopefully, they will consider more than the R if Trump is the candidate again in 2020.

—John G. Ruff, Logan, Kansas