Trump aid for agricultural equipment sought Republicans

Republican lawmakers are appealing to President Donald Trump for more farm relief and aid for agricultural equipment manufacturers amid his tariff blitz, even as the president has made a $12 billion bailout for farmers hurt by his trade policies. 

Farmers have said that Trump’s tariff policies have hit their bottom lines, since they rely on exports to international trade competitors, including China, to stay afloat.

That hit comes on top of several years of low commodity prices and high costs for key inputs like fertilizer, which were already forcing farmers to tighten their belts.

The reduction in demand for new equipment from cash-strapped farmers led to layoffs earlier this year by some of the largest manufacturers, including Deere.

Cory Reed, president of Deere’s agriculture and turf division, told the Financial Times this week that the “US market has been the one under the most pressure . . . based on what’s happened with trade flows, what’s happened with tariffs and what’s happened with the escalating cost structure internally, as we’ve seen that market cycle down.”

Kip Eideberg, the head of government and industry relations at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, said, “We remain concerned that persistent high tariffs, especially on critical parts and components that cannot be sourced domestically, will inadvertently harm our farmers and ranchers and drive up costs for all Americans.”

The dynamic has alarmed lawmakers, some of whom asked Trump to step in as he attempts to rescue farmers, a loyal voting bloc, from the financial fallout of his trade policies. 

A spokesperson for Trump-ally Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the senator has appealed to the administration.

“Last week, Senator Grassley raised constituent concerns to the White House, the U.S. Trade Representative and the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, sharing that equipment manufacturers could use targeted relief from the tariffs and urging the administration to remove tariffs on specific farm machinery parts,” the spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.

Other Republican senators have spoken up, too.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said in an interview that the equipment issue came up at a Monday roundtable at the White House where Trump laid out his relief plan for farmers injured by his trade policies. He said the president was receptive to pleas for aid to farmers for equipment. 

“We talked specifically with the president about it, and he specifically said he wants to look at how he can help make farm equipment more affordable,” Hoeven said. 

Hoeven said Trump suggested “reducing some of the regulatory burdens on farm equipment manufacturers,” to keep costs down. 

Trump at that roundtable publicly suggested he would slash environmental regulations on farm equipment manufacturers, but only if those companies…