The USDA has announced it will authorize up to $12 billion in aid to assist farmers who have been impacted by retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods. The ethanol industry also called on the Trump administration to provide Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15 as a way to aid the farm community.

The USDA made its announcement July 24, noting that President Trump directed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue “to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally.” The $12 billion in aid is in line with the estimated $11 billion impact of the retaliatory tariffs and is expected to assist agriculture producers to meet the costs of disrupted markets.

By Erin Voegele, Ethanol Producer Magazine.