Washington, Dec 10 (NationPress) U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s recently announced $12 billion initiative aimed at supporting farmers impacted by trade disputes. She described the scheme as a “meager bailout” that does not address the significant damage inflicted by tariffs, which have altered international markets and adversely affected key exporters, particularly those exporting to India.

Just a day prior, President Trump revealed plans to allocate up to $11 billion for a new Farmer Bridge Assistance Program to benefit producers of soybeans, corn, wheat, lentils, chickpeas, and barley. An additional $1 billion is designated for specialty crops, but the administration has yet to provide specifics or timelines for this assistance. Payments are anticipated by February 28, 2026.

This support is to be financed through the Commodity Credit Corporation and managed by the Farm Service Agency. This announcement follows more than a year since Trump’s first round of tariffs, which provoked immediate threats of retaliation against U.S. goods, according to the USDA.

Senator Cantwell voiced her opinion that the administration's response is insufficient and arrives too late. “Farmers in Washington do not seek a meager bailout; they desire the ability to export their products worldwide,” she stated. She cautioned that “Trump's tariff turmoil is undermining years of effort to secure international market presence.”

Moreover, she indicated that the ongoing trade conflict jeopardizes significant export hubs in the Northwest that manage nearly $20 billion in U.S. agricultural shipments each year. “Trump's tariffs are continually hurting American consumers, manufacturers, and small businesses, who are bearing the costs without any relief,” she remarked.

Specialty crops, which comprise over 30 percent of U.S. agricultural output, will only receive 8 percent of the aid, as noted in the release. This category encompasses apples, cherries, potatoes, and pulse crops—industries severely impacted when India enacted retaliatory tariffs following Trump's imposition of steel and aluminum duties during his first term.

The announcement highlighted that U.S. apple exports to India plummeted from $120 million in 2017 to under $1 million by 2023. It credited Cantwell’s years of lobbying as instrumental in persuading India to lift those retaliatory tariffs in September 2023, labeling the reversal as “welcome news” for over 1,400 Washington apple growers and countless workers.

Cantwell also emphasized her bipartisan Trade Review Act, which she introduced with Senator Chuck Grassley. This legislation aims to restrict a president's tariff authority and enhance congressional oversight, garnering support from both parties and major business organizations.

The release also addressed rising consumer prices connected to tariffs, invoking findings from economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, who discovered increases in the costs of vehicles, electronics, and furniture.

The U.S. and India have frequently clashed over agricultural trade, including duties on apples, pulses, and almonds. India’s decision to eliminate its retaliatory tariffs in 2023 represented a rare de-escalation as both nations aim to stabilize their trade relationship.