Be afraid
OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.
That apparently pushes the tariff on US pork and pork variety meat to an eye watering 172%.
The new soybean tariff is more than 150%.
This follows Trump’s partial backdown after markets went into freefall, pausing reciprocal tariffs on most countries for 90 days, but upping the ante on China with a tariff of 145%.
Your old mate reckons once tariffs get that high, the actual number becomes academic.
The US Farm Journal concurs: “Whether the tariffs are 50% or 100%, it really doesn’t matter. Either one shuts down trade. It hurts our cotton exports, our beef and our pork.”
