WAUSAU, Wis. (WXCO) – Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) continued her Wisconsin Farm Tour in Wausau on Tuesday with a visit to Hsu Ginseng Farms and learned of continuing challenges faced by farmers of all stripes throughout the state.
Baldwin was joined by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii on the visit Hsu Ginseng Farm, which is the largest ginseng farming and retail operation in the United States.
The two Senators were given a tour of the farms by company President Will Hsu, told of the challenges being faced in recent years due to a number of factors including a trade war with China that started with new tariffs implemented during the Trump administration in 2018. Baldwin said those policies and the retaliatory tariffs have affected Wisconsin farmers in many sectors but particularly in ginseng.
“It’s a specialty crop that is produced in this (Marathon) county. Number one producer of ginseng in the county. Probably 90 percent of the ginseng produced in America is produced in right here in Marathon County. This is a tariff situation that is like a double whammy in this part of the state.”
While seeing the impacts of the trade war with China concerning ginseng and other crops, Senator Baldwin does support what she calls “targeted” tariffs.
“There’s not a level playing field for our workers. When you see something like steel dumping where they are trying to undercut an entire industry we have to fight back and protect our domestic ability to produce things for our infrastructure and national security.”
That said, she does not agree with the tariff proposal being put out by Donald Trump during the presidential campaign arguing for massive tariffs on all products.
“It’s almost a sales tax on every U.S. consumer. I think that targeted are very appropriate and fights for American workers but I don’t think we should do wholesale on everyone.”
Senator Baldwin was joined by her colleague in the Senate Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. Hirono says she made the trip to Wisconsin to help Baldwin because of how Baldwin goes straight to her constituents and listens.
“Farming is very challenging. To come here and to understand what a challenge it is to produce ginseng in this state and to realize how much of it is produced here and the challenges you face. This is something that Tammy does everyday that she is home is to talk to Wisconsinites to see what their issues are.”
Baldwin is currently running for a 3rd term in office with Eric Hovde the Republican nominee.
