Business Owners, Ranchers Voice Concerns Over Tariffs

DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – Farmers and business owners voiced concerns Thursday in Dallas about tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

At a town hall meeting on tariff’s at the Texas Ale Project, the President was praised for pressuring countries like China in the trade war. But farmers and ranchers, like Scott Frazier, said he’s feeling the affects in the agriculture industry.

“Our commodity prices are low, our input costs are high,” said Frazier. “And farm income has dropped by 52 percent.”

Recent analysis by the group, ‘Tariffs Hurt the Heartland’ shows that Texas companies paid $654 million dollars more in tariffs in June through August that in the same time frame last year.

Texas Ale Project CEO, Kat Thompson, said her company cans its own beer with aluminum and is feeling the affects of tariffs.

“You may think okay, a $.01 increase on a can, woopty-doo,” said Thompson. “But it actually adds up pretty fast.”

The Trump administration has launched a program to provide $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers and ranchers affected by the trade war. But, concerns remain high across many in the industry and among some small business owners.

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