NEWS: Harder Announces Proactive Tariff Relief for Valley Farmers
$250+ million available across four programs for specialty crop growers
Deadline to apply is June 6, 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced four new tariff relief programs to deliver proactive assistance to Valley farmers and agriculture communities amid the escalating global trade war. These U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs provide up to $251 million to reduce foreign market costs, especially for specialty crops like almonds, grapes, and olives. The deadline to apply is June 6, 2025.
Retaliatory tariffs could hit Valley farmers hard:
- The Valley is the fruit and nut basket of the world, producing 25% of the nation’s food.
- China has imposed a 35% tariff on U.S. almonds, which are all grown in California.
- The European Union, a major export market, is considering new retaliatory tariffs at the end of the month.
“Our Valley farmers should not be punished with rising costs and shrinking foreign markets,” said Rep. Harder. “These are some of the hardest working people out there and we have to support them during this economic uncertainty. These proactive programs will make it easier to sell our world-class crops abroad and reduce the burden of retaliatory tariffs on local growers. I strongly recommend our growers apply for this program – my office is here to help.”
Farmers can check their eligibility to apply here.
Provided by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, these trade relief programs include:
- $200 million from the Market Access Program to promote U.S. fruits, nuts, and more to global consumers.
- $34.5 million from the Foreign Market Development program to identify trade barriers and new markets for U.S. crops.
- $9 million from the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program to specifically address specialty crop trade barriers.
- $8 million from the Emerging Markets Program for developing export opportunities in emerging foreign markets.
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