Opinion: Trump's Tariffs Are a Win for Rural America (10/21/2025)

An Editorial by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller

If anyone still doubts that the Trump administration is serious about standing up for America’s farmers and ranchers, the latest round of agricultural tariffs should put those doubts to rest. For far too long, our producers have been treated as bargaining chips in a global trade system tilted against them, especially by foreign powers like China, where the playbook has been simple: let America and American consumers take the hit.

Those days are over. Tariffs are a tool to level the playing field, to bring real partners to the negotiating table, and to make clear that the heartland of this country will no longer be taken for granted. I’m proud to stand with the Trump administration in defending our farmers, our commodities, and the strength of the American economy.

My friend and ally in this fight is USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. She and President Trump have made it clear that these tariffs are strategic. To save America from unfair trade practices, we must realign the playing field in a transformative way. And yes, we must weather some short-term storms to build a stronger, fairer framework.

Let’s not forget what caused this mess. The Biden administration sat on the sidelines during trade negotiations and allowed America’s competitors to gain advantage. That’s what this new tariff push corrects: it forces other nations to pay up, drop discriminatory barriers, and give our producers real access. And make no mistake, it’s not about punishing consumers, it’s about protecting producers. It’s about striking deals that provide our producers with customers and markets around the world.

We cannot afford to sit back and let foreign powers carve out big chunks of our markets, President Trump is wielding tariffs as a leverage tool to compel better deals, reset trade relationships, and make foreign nations come to us. And tariff revenue helps give the Trump administration what it needs to defend farmers and to offset disruptions during the adjustment period in a targeted way.

I get the concern about unintended consequences from these policies, but let’s be clear: what’s more dangerous is doing nothing. Every year we cede market share, we lose farms, we hollow out rural communities, we weaken America. If tariffs bring in revenue and force a reset, that’s better than bleeding out silently. Mark my words, President Trump knows that a golden age for American farmers is just around the corner, and what he is doing now is laying the foundation.

These tariffs are the stick behind the carrot of new trade deals. Take the recent wins, expanded access for dairy in Costa Rica, new openings in Thailand, Vietnam, and Brazil all markets that once barred American citrus, American apples, and American stone fruit. That’s real, tangible progress.

The Trump administration has moved quickly to show that diplomacy follows tariffs. Dozens of nations have reached out for talks in response to the new tariff policy, and we expect new trade deals will be struck in short order. That’s leadership that puts America first.

I’ve spent my life fighting for Texas agriculture, pushing to stop overreaching federal policies and to let our local producers thrive. That’s why I back this administration’s willingness to fight, not retreat.

Here’s my promise: I stand with the Trump administration’s tariff strategy. I stand with Secretary Rollins, who knows we must be disruptive now, so the long-term gains are real and sustained. Let critics scream, I’ll stay in the dirt. I’ll fight for the farmers, the ranchers, and rural America that brings in the harvest. Because for me, America First isn’t a slogan, it’s survival.