WASHINGTON — The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and Pet Food Institute (PFI), along with 37 other agricultural trade groups, signed a letter asking the Biden administration for tariff relief on May 26.

The letter urges the administration to suspend, reduce or eliminate Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs in return for commitments from other countries to suspend commensurate retaliatory tariffs. The Section 301 tariffs deal with Chinese goods while Section 232 tariffs focus on retaliatory tariffs with Europe, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The letter laid out the proposal to Katherine Tai, the US trade representative, as another effort to help agriculture during ongoing inflation issues and dealing with market changes due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Our businesses are faced with surging fuel prices, skyrocketing fertilizer and other input costs, and continued uncertainty in the global market,” the letter noted. “With so many challenges threatening our livelihood, removal of tariffs on food and agriculture inputs and removal of burdensome retaliatory tariffs would provide immediate relief to America’s food producers.”

Headed by the Farmers for Free Trade, the letter follows recently increased tariffs, which are currently under review by the Biden administration to help address inflation. According to the letter, retaliatory tariffs have had a negative effect on farmers, food producers and rural communities, which have been hit hard by rising input costs and decreased market access.

“By rolling back 301 and 232 tariffs and eliminating retaliatory tariffs, you can increase market access for US food and agriculture exports and reduce costs for critical machinery, fertilizer, agricultural chemicals and other food and agriculture inputs,” the letter said. “These efforts would have an immediate effect and would ease the uncertainty felt by all rural America.”

Read the full tariff relief letter.

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