Montana farmers troubled by tariffs

Montana farmers are worried about being whipsawed in a trade war as the United States trades tariffs on farm products with China, Canada and Mexico.

Wheat and lentil exports are likely to face tougher markets in the coming year as tariffs erode favorable trade terms in Canada and China, producers told Montana Free Press in mid-March.

The current trade war is in some ways similar to a 2018 tariff battle with China that pinched wheat values indirectly as displaced U.S. corn and soybeans negatively affected the demand for wheat. That year, federal subsidies to Montana farmers grew by $140 million to offset trade-related losses.