The head of the Bloomington-based Illinois Farm Bureau is urging the federal government to walk back tariffs that could damage the agriculture sector. That's a stark departure from the relative optimism many agriculture groups had expressed about the Trump administration in the weeks after the election.
In a statement, Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan asked the Trump administration to find other methods to combat illegal drugs and secure the border.
“We remain deeply concerned with the use of tariffs and their potential to spark retaliation on America’s farmers,” said Duncan. “Grains, feed, corn, soybeans, ethanol, beef, and pork rely on access to foreign markets and will undoubtedly be impacted by these new tariffs either through increased prices or decreased market access."
Duncan said the U-S, Mexico, Canada trade agreement negotiated during the first Trump term is valuable to farmers and the tariffs overset the pact.
“This uncertainty coupled with an already struggling farm economy has farmers worried as we head into planting season,” said Duncan.
Illinois is the third largest exporter of agricultural commodities in the U.S. — $13.7 billion last year. A recent study showed McLean County is among the counties with the most potential exposure to tariff impacts.
Farmers in the state sent $2.5 billion worth of products to Mexico and $2.1 billion to Canada, said the IFB.
The Farm Bureau also referenced U.S. Commerce Department figures showing Illinois imported $784 million in agricultural products from other countries in 2024. That includes $314 million of Canadian products and $228 million worth from Mexico. That part of international trade could also be affected by the tariffs.
