Ironically, Democrats now find themselves defending the interests of Wall Street and global corporations, which are the primary drivers of U.S. imports. According to Census data, large corporations account for 85% of all manufacturing imports.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. exported $175.97 billion in agricultural commodities last year and imported $214.14 billion—for a trade deficit of $38.16 billion. This included $12 billion in fruits, $11 billion in beef and seafood, and $4.8 billion in vegetables. CPA published a report on this in January.

As the debate continues about tariffs, some in the Republican Party argue that China and other nations will respond by halting purchases of U.S. agriculture. They mostly call for opening new markets opposed to signing new free trade deals.

Free trade policies have hollowed out U.S. food production. Over the last 25 years, imports have increased their share of the domestic market, making it harder for farms to stay in business, let alone convince future farmers, such as the children of farmers, to remain in agriculture.

Read the article.