Iowa Republican: Trump tariffs ‘hurtful’ to farmers

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R) said Sunday that the Trump administration’s tariffs on China are hurting American farmers.

“As we have heard from our farmers, they do want us to find a path forward with China. The tariffs are hurtful right now, but the president will continue negotiating. We hope that we can get a deal soon,” Ernst said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

{mosads}”This is a really difficult situation that the farmers are in. Just to remind the viewers that 1 in 5 jobs in Iowa is tied directly to trade,” she added. “Most of that is around the farming sector, our agricultural sector. So it is very tense times.”

Ernst also said Sunday that she doesn’t see a trade deal happening this summer.

Trade tensions between U.S. and China have been escalating since negotiations collapsed earlier this month.

The Trump administration raised tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of imports, and China responded by targeting $60 billion worth of U.S. agricultural exports.

The president has threatened another round of tariffs on Chinese imports as the trade dispute escalates.

Many lawmakers, including GOP Sen. Jerry Moran (Kan.), have said the trade conflict is hurting American farmers.

President Trump has announced his administration will provide $15 billion in assistance to farmers hurt by the trade clashes and recommended people avoid buying from China while negotiations continue.