President-elect Donald Trump has refuted a Washington Post report suggesting his administration might scale back its proposed tariff strategy to target critical imports. In a post on Truth Social, Trump labeled the story “incorrect” and claimed it relied on “so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist.”

The Post had reported that Trump’s team was considering tariffs focused on national and economic security, such as defense materials, medical supplies and energy components like rare earth minerals. This would mark a departure from Trump’s campaign pledge for across-the-board tariffs of 10% to 20%, which economists warn could disrupt global trade and hike consumer prices.

Bloomberg Economics estimates that Trump’s trade policies could lead to successive waves of tariff increases, including a tripling of levies on Chinese goods by 2026 and significant duties on imports from Mexico and Canada. These projections are contributing to trade uncertainty as businesses brace for potential cost increases and supply chain disruptions.

The lack of clear details has left the agriculture industry concerned. Broader tariffs, including proposed 60% duties on Chinese goods and 25% levies on imports from Canada and Mexico, are also reportedly under discussion to address issues such as migration and fentanyl.

Related:Iowa pork industry contributed $15.4B in value-added activity to state's economy in 2024

USDA Secretary confirmation hearing delayed

Brooke Rollins, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, is still awaiting a date for her Senate confirmation hearing. According to a report by Politico, Rollins’ hearing had been scheduled for Jan. 15 but has been delayed by her FBI background check and ethics paperwork.

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s new Chairman, Arkansas Senator John Boozman, is expected to provide a full seven days’ notice prior to the hearing. Rollins has so far not faced strong opposition to her nomination and is widely expected to be confirmed without major difficulties.

USDA expands milk testing for H5N1

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced this week that 15 additional states have joined the National Milk Testing Strategy. This brings the total to 28 states, representing nearly 65% of U.S. milk production. The NMTS is intended to detect H5N1 in dairy herds and prevent its spread. The program involves bulk tank sampling to identify affected herds and guide containment efforts.

States like Alabama, Iowa and Virginia are among the new participants. California advanced to Stage 3 of the NMTS due to increased viral activity, implementing rapid response measures. USDA continues to work with states to expand testing nationwide, aiming to identify H5N1 cases early and limit its impact on the dairy sector. The strategy has not yet identified new outbreaks in states without prior detections.

Related:Farm Progress America, Jan. 14, 2025

“Across the country, a strong network of public and private veterinarians, as well as state and local agriculture and health officials, have been working hand-in-hand with USDA to make the National Milk Testing Strategy as robust a weapon as possible in our fight against H5N1, and to ensure farmers have the information and tools they need to protect their businesses, their families, their workers and ultimately their communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA remains fully committed to working with farmers and our public health partners to evolve our strategy based on our latest findings so we can keep people and animals safe from this virus.”