Agriculture

A Democratic congressman from the Chicago area brought his concerns about President Trump’s tariffs to a farm just south of Bloomington on Thursday, accusing the administration of sowing “chaos and uncertainty” with its confrontational approach to trade policy.

An agriculture executive in Bloomington says tariffs are creating a lot of uncertainty heading into a new planting season.

Museum executive director Beth Whisman announced the donation from the McLean County Farm Bureau at the annual McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Awareness breakfast on Wednesday.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said earlier this month that economic aid payments Congress approved late last year are on the way. But with days left before the deadline, some farmers are anxiously waiting.

The head of the Illinois Farm Bureau is urging the federal government to walk back tariffs that could damage the agriculture sector.

Our sister station WCBU spoke to several employees impacted by job cuts at the Peoria Ag Lab, the largest federal employer in Greater Peoria. “It is a slap in the face to be treated this way," one of them said.

Retaliatory tariffs by China could hurt McLean County more than most counties in the U.S. and more than all but one other county in Illinois.

The ag sector is showing signs of relief, following the pause on U.S. tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump against Canada and Mexico — though other indicators cause concern.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen says he's frustrated it's taken lawmakers so long to come with a plan to fund the government into the new year, but the Quad Cities Democrat says there are several parts of the stop-gap budget bill he supports.

Incoming president Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from countries such as China, Mexico and Canada. Many economists and commodity groups say these import taxes could boomerang and harm U.S. agriculture.