The enactment of higher federal tariffs with Canada, Mexico and China is an issue of great concern to the agricultural community in New York. Our farmers are already dealing with razor-thin margins. If these tariffs persist, they may be faced with rising costs of products like potash, a key ingredient in fertilizer, as nearly all of it is imported from Canada. Meanwhile, New York State is number two in the nation for apple production. If Washington State, the number-one producer, cannot export apples, they may sell them in New York at a fraction of the normal cost, which would undercut our farmers’ profit margin even further. These, along with retaliatory tariffs, are just a few examples illustrating the trickle-down effects of higher tariffs. U.S. dairy farmers exported nearly $9 billion globally in 2024, with the largest portion of these exports going to Canada, Mexico and China. While we support fair trade, our goal is always to provide affordable and accessible food for all New Yorkers while protecting our agricultural markets and lowering input costs for our farmers.
David Fisher, President
New York Farm Bureau
