Impending tariffs have farmers bracing for what could be a bumpy road as they prepare for the spring planting season.
Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen tells WCCO Radio's The Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar that tariffs involving Canada could hurt Minnesota farmers.
"You take Canada, for example, that's $2 billion a year in agricultural products that flow back and forth across the border," Petersen says. "We're very integrated in a lot of cases with Canada, and that's a concern. So those Mexican and Canadian tariffs are paused until March 1st, but that's like two weeks away. So, you know, coming fast."
Tariffs were put on a 30-day pause by President Trump earlier this month as part of a deal to improve security and safety at both borders.
Petersen says farmers, especially crop farmers, are going through some tough times with rising costs and that a trade war with Canada will only add to that. Petersen says he spoke to Saskatchewan's Warren Kaeding, who is Minister of Trade and Export Development for the province.
"You look at a large portion of our fertilizer, such as potash coming from Saskatchewan, as I met with the Minister Kaeding this week," says Petersen. "That's a concern. What they put it to us, is farmers could plan on anywhere from $4 to $8 per acre on an increase in inputs."