Cantwell Responds to Trump’s Short-Sighted Attempt To Address Farmers’ Trade War Losses: “WA Farmers Don’t Want a Meager Bailout, They Want to Be Able to Export Their Goods[...]

Cantwell Responds to Trump's Short-Sighted Attempt To Address Farmers' Trade War Losses: "WA Farmers Don't Want a Meager Bailout, They Want to Be Able to Export Their Goods Across the Globe"

Today, the Trump Administration announced it would send checks to growers - a sign the Trump Trade Wars are failing agriculture ; Farmers of specialty crops like potatoes, hops, apples, & cherries will only receive 8% of the federal aid, despite accounting for 30%-40% of the total value of U.S. crop production

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, and U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering $12 billion in federal aid to American farmers suffering under President Trump's trade war.

The USDA will provide up to $11 billion to create and implement the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which will provide payments to row crop farmers, including producers of soybeans, corn, wheat, lentils, chickpeas, and barley. The remaining $1 billion is set-aside for commodities that are not covered by the FBA Program, including specialty crops. The Administration is using the taxpayer-funded Commodity Credit Corporation to fund the $12 million in assistance and payments will be administered through the Farm Service Agency. Funding through FBA is expected to be released by February 28, 2026 - nearly three months from now and more than a year after Trump imposed his first set of tariffs among many, which triggered immediate threats of retaliatory tariffs on American goods and products. At this time, the administration's proposal admits to a one-time payment to farmers well after they began suffering the negative effects of the ill-conceived tariffs, and as many of Trump's tariffs remain in place. Moreover, there are no details or timelines for specialty crop assistance.

Growers of specialty crops - a category which encompasses most of the agricultural products grown and exported out of the State of Washington, represent just 8% of the total aid despite accounting for more than 30% of the value of America's agricultural output. This includes the 70% of potatoes in the form of frozen french fries, 30% of apples, and 25% of cherries that are grown in Washington and exported each year.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and is a senior member of the Finance Committee, issued the following statement:

"Washington state produces amazing agricultural products that the whole world wants to buy, but Trump's tariff chaos is sabotaging decades of hard work winning overseas shelf space. Washington farmers don't want a meager bailout, they want to be able to export their goods across the globe. Trump's trade wars also risk hurting Washington ports that ship almost $20 billion worth of U.S. agricultural exports per year. Plus, Trump's tariffs continue to harm American consumers, manufacturers, and small businesses, who keep paying the costs without relief," Sen. Cantwell said.

Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide.

Immediately following President Trump's April 2^nd 'Liberation Day' tariffs, Senators Cantwell and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act to reaffirm Congress' key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. The Trade Review Act of 2025, modeled after the War Powers Resolution of 1973, would reestablish limits on the president's ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress.

The Trade Review Act of 2025 has considerable bipartisan support, including; Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Warner (D-VA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Peter Welch (D-VT), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). A bipartisan companion bill to Cantwell's legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.

In October, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business organization, endorsed Sen. Cantwell's legislation and the National Taxpayers Union included the Trade Review Act in their Top 10 Bipartisan Bills for Taxpayers "No Brainer" list. Nine other major organizations representing millions of small, medium, and large businesses have come out in support of Sen. Cantwell's bill. View all statements of support HERE.

Here's what others are saying:

• Seattle Times Editorial: Following 'liberation day' tariffs, Congress should reassert power over trade
• The Wall Street Journal: Senators Move to Rein In Trump's Power on Tariffs
• CBS Face the Nation: Sen. Cantwell on bipartisan support for measure to claw back control over trade
• NPR: Sen. Maria Cantwell says there is bipartisan support to rein in Trump's tariffs

Despite Trump's campaign promises, prices have only gone up under his watch. In September, Sen. Cantwell joined nearly 50 small business owners on the steps of the Supreme Court to push back against Trump's reckless tariff policies. In April, Sen. Cantwell joined small business owners at the Port of Seattle to sound the alarm on how disastrous these policies are for Washington state businesses and consumers. According to economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, tariffs are already causing significant price hikes in durable goods like vehicles, electronics, and furniture.

Following President Trump's first-term trade war, Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India's 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state's apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023. In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell's advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state's more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries.