To the editor:

In 2024 China imported about 26.81 million metric tons of soybeans from the US. So far, just before the October China — USA meeting, China purchased 5.93 metric million tons with a promise of 12 million metric tons. This is less than half of 2024. China has been quietly adjusting imports away from the U.S. to decrease dependence on the U.S. for a number of years.

With the government shutdown some numbers are not up to date and even adjusted to reflect political interests. Using non-government sources like the American Soybean Association the numbers should be close enough for generalizations.

In 2018, U.S. tariffs on China exports were 3.1%. China tariffs on US exports were 8%. The current US 57% to 47% tariff decrease was a rookie move for headlines. For comparison, China made no change and held at 32.6%. The top U.S. tax bracket is only 37% on the richest of the rich who rarely pay that amount but you, Mrs. and Mr. Low to Middle Income are crushed with the current 24% plus and no fancy lawyers to ‘legally’ hide your wealth.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics worked hard to make sense of the wack-a-mole tariff gambit that has cost United States consumers $122 billion from January to July 2025. Sounds like a lot but it is only 2.4% of projected total federal revenue for 2025 of $5.2 trillion dollars and does little to counter the governments estimated spending of $7.1 trillion. Someone’s not paying their fair share. The extra costs fall heavily on medium to low income families but is only a speck of dust on Mars for high income earners.

Yes, the tax code is stacked against you and yes you are paying more for everything because of a successful transfer of your small income to the very richest. Even if the $12 billion “donation” to American Farmers for lost soybean sales to China actually happens, very little will help the small farmer and the American taxpayer will be on the hook again.

I hope you remember that voting is important and letting legislators know how you feel about tariffs, insurance costs, extralegal killings, immigration, buying off the press, starting an “Iraq Style War” with Venezuela and sending the military to your town to make sure you do not speak out about this wholesale crushing of democracy and human beings.

William Richards

Walnut Grove