%{{tag.tag}} {{articledata.title}} {{moment(articledata.cdate)}} @{{articledata.company.replace(" ","")}} comment American President Donald Trump has announced a $12 billion U.S. aid package for farmers who have been hurt financially by tariffs and an ongoing trade war with China and other nations. The funds will come from U.S. tariff revenues that have been collected, said Trump during a press conference to announce the bailout. Most of the money will go to the U.S. Agriculture Department's new "Farmer Bridge Assistance" program, which provides one-time payments to crop farmers. America's agriculture sector has been hit hard by Trump's tariffs and trade wars. Fertilizer prices from neighbouring Canada have skyrocketed and China stopped buying U.S. soybeans for several months, notably during the harvest season this autumn. China recently started buying U.S. soybeans again but the Asian nation's imports of the crop do not appear to be rebounding to their former levels. China bought nearly 27 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in 2024. Farmers in the U.S., particularly ones that grow soybeans, corn and lentils, have been calling on the federal government in Washington, D.C. to provide some relief. In addition to the tariff impacts, farmers in America's heartland have been grappling in recent years with drought conditions that have stunted crops. There is also an outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) and dwindling cattle herds hurting farm operations in the U.S. and driving up food costs for consumers. Critics say Trump is trying to help farmers weather the tariff storm he created, hurting the agriculture economy in the process.