Farmer Berleen Wobeter of Tama County. SUN COURIER FILE PHOTO

IOWA – Two days after expressing frustrations over tariffs during a virtual roundtable event hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP), a group of Iowa farmers, including Tama County’s Berleen Wobeter, expressed a sense of hope when some of those tariffs were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday (Feb. 20).

In that 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court determined that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and reciprocal tariffs placed by President Donald Trump were unconstitutional. After the ruling, Wobeter spoke during an IDP press conference along with farmer Ryan Marquardt of Madison County. Wobeter and her husband Pete grow corn, soybeans and have a small cow-calf herd between Toledo and Traer.

With tariffs playing an integral part in Trump’s administration, people are expecting the President to respond — which he did by declaring he would sign an executive order for a 10% global tariff (subsequently increasing that to 15% over the weekend). When asked for thoughts about the global tariffs, Wobeter said she felt people want a rational response to an irrational reaction.

“He simply doesn’t base his arguments on rational thought,” she said. “Tariffs are a tool, so they can be used sometimes. The trade deficit is not necessarily a huge problem, and he just has his own take on all this. I can’t give you a rational answer to what’s going to come next or whether it’s the right thing to do.”

Marquardt compared the global tariffs to driving in a finishing nail with a sledge hammer, and is expecting another mess. Providing examples, he said Trump could use the 1962 Trade Expansion Act or the 1974 Trade Act to get around the court’s ruling.

“That’s kind of what I expect,” he said. “[Tariffs] are kind of his thing. It’s like the only thing he’s tried to run on, but it hasn’t done much for us at all. It’s only been damage and pain.”

One of Wobeter’s biggest concerns is the loss of perspective of the future of land, farmers and communities.

“This isn’t just about profit,” she said. “This is about how do our communities exist? Will we have safe food? Are we protecting our soil? We can’t even get down to those kind of discussions in this present environment.

Marquardt described the Supreme Court’s ruling as welcome.

“The tariffs have really resulted in an increase in input costs and kind of eroded or erased our export markets,” he said. “They triggered retaliatory tariffs against us. This is very welcome news to be finally turning the page on this, although I have little faith the administration will not look to the other tools that it has to try to extend tariffs.”