US agriculture industry starts talks with Trump team on tariffs, immigration
The U.S. agriculture industry has started talks with Donald Trump’s transition team in a bid to advocate for the food business as the president-elect pledges tariffs and mass deportations.
Groups including the National Grain and Feed Association, which represents agriculture powerhouses such as Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. and Cargill Inc., and the International Fresh Produce Association, were among those involved in the discussions, according to people familiar with the matter. The National Council of Agricultural Employers also has a meeting on the books.
The groups are prioritizing topics such as Trump’s promised tariffs, which could upend trade with key commodity buyers like China and Mexico, as well as immigration, with U.S. agriculture becoming more reliant on foreign labor. Some industry advocates are lobbying for the expansion of a visa program for temporary workers, and others want China to stick to crop purchases pledged during the “Phase One” trade deal negotiated by Trump in his previous term, said the people who asked not to be named citing private talks.