Washington, Dec 9 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump announced a substantial farm relief initiative worth billions while intensifying his critique of agricultural imports from India and other Asian countries. In a roundtable at the White House, he stated that tariffs would be applied vigorously to safeguard American producers.

During the meeting with farmers, lawmakers, and senior cabinet members on Monday, Trump declared that the administration would allocate $12 billion in economic support for US farmers, sourced from tariff revenues collected from international trade partners. “We’re really bringing in trillions of dollars, if you consider it,” he mentioned, asserting that countries “exploited us like never before.”

The President characterized this new financial aid as vital for stabilizing the agricultural economy after what he described as inherited inflation and declining commodity prices. “Farmers are a crucial national asset, part of America's backbone,” he emphasized, claiming that leveraging tariffs was key to rejuvenating US agriculture.

India emerged as a significant focus during an extensive dialogue on rice imports, which one producer from Louisiana described as devastating for growers in the south.

Meryl Kennedy, CEO of Kennedy Rice Mill, informed the President that the US market was facing challenges from “countries… dumping rice into this country today.” She added: “The tariffs are working, but we need to escalate our efforts.” She identified “India, Thailand, and China into Puerto Rico” as major sources of subsidized imports, which she argued were undermining domestic producers. “We’ve never seen such high levels of imports,” she remarked, referencing a WTO case against India and calling for stricter limits.

Trump sought clarification. “Why is India allowed to do this? They should be paying tariffs,” he instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to evaluate possible actions. When informed that Indian companies owned “the two largest brands” in the US retail rice market, Trump replied: “Okay, we will address that. It’s straightforward… Tariffs, once again, resolve the issue swiftly.”

Tariffs were also a topic in a broader discourse regarding adversarial trade practices impacting soybeans and other crops. Trump mentioned that he had recently conversed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and anticipated substantial additional purchases. “China… is acquiring a significant amount of soybeans,” he noted. “I believe he’s going to exceed his previous commitments.”

Bessent indicated that the Busan framework negotiated by Trump with Xi included pledges for China to purchase “at least $12 million metric tons of US soybeans this growing season, followed by a minimum of 25 million tons annually for the next three years.” He described the $11–12 billion farm package as a crucial “liquidity bridge,” asserting that Trump was “ushering in a new golden age for agriculture.”

For many participants, trade issues related to India were interconnected with worries about global competition and the future of US commodity markets. Kennedy urged the administration to designate rice as “a national security issue,” labeling it “a currency in many of these nations.” She cautioned that subsidized foreign rice was displacing American products abroad, particularly in Puerto Rico, which was once a significant market for US-grown grains.

Trump consistently argued that tariff authority—currently under review by the Supreme Court—was vital for addressing such practices. “If we had a president who said no, you can’t do that… we would have never lost our chip industry,” he remarked while connecting the discussion back to agricultural imports.

Several farmers called for expedited action. Iowa producer Cordt Holub expressed gratitude to Trump for the “bridge payment” and suggested that domestic policies such as E15 could bolster local markets. Trump responded, “So E15 is a significant topic?” before assuring continued examination.

The event also featured administration officials emphasizing what they described as a dramatic decline in the rural economy under Biden. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated that “150,000 farms closed” during the previous administration, and interest expenses had soared. “You may wonder why we require this $11 billion, maybe $12 billion… a hole was dug in the previous administration,” he noted.

Trade between India and the US has expanded over the last decade, with India exporting basmati rice, rice products, spices, and marine goods while importing US almonds, cotton, and pulses. Ongoing disputes regarding subsidies, market access, and WTO complaints—especially concerning rice and sugar—have intermittently strained bilateral discussions.

China remains the largest buyer of US soybeans, and tariff-related volatility has influenced global commodity flows since 2018. Trump’s renewed reliance on tariffs indicates potential instability for Asian agricultural exporters in the near future.