New tariffs threaten to undermine farmers

Just a few days ago, it looked like the United States and China would reach a deal to end a months-long trade war. Then it all fell apart. U.S. officials say China changed some key terms of the deal at the last minute, prompting President Trump to threaten a massive tariff hike instead. And while talks are ongoing, tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods rose from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday morning, and a new 25 percent tariff was levied on an additional $325 billion of imported goods.

Increased tariffs are another round of bad news for farmers in the Midwest, who are already caught in the crossfire of the trade war. MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke to agriculture economist Wallace E. Tyner about the ripple effects of the tariffs and what they mean for farmers and farm country.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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