Mississippi River Mayor To Trump: How Much More Can Farmers Take?
By: Mindy Ward, Delta Farm Press
St. Gabriel, La. Not the soybean mecca of the U.S., but a city that will deeply feel the impact of China’s 25% tax on U.S. soybeans.
Louisiana is set to be the hardest-hit state from proposed agriculture tariffs, particularly those related to soybeans. “Not because we are a top soy-producing state,” St. Gabriel Mayor Lionel Johnson says, “but because we are the gateway port for that product to the rest of the world.”
Roughly 20% of all U.S. imports pass through the port of southern Louisiana. Johnson says more than 1 million acres of soybean production are exported out of the port annually. The greatest destination — China.
As one of 85 mayors making up the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative, Johnson is concerned about the new tariffs. “It is not just impacting China, but everybody who uses the Mississippi River,” he adds.