Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley and fellow Iowa Senator Joni Ernst sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department requesting that Secretary Wilbur Ross lift Sections 232 tariffs on steel. They did so because the move would help Iowa farmers trying to recover from the derecho storm system that rolled through the state in August. The Iowa lawmakers are asking that tariffs be removed on steel that can be used for rebuilding grain bins and machine sheds. “In the wake of this catastrophe, opportunists are offering extremely high estimates to Iowans for the steel they need to rebuild their homes, farms, businesses, and communities,” they say in the letter. “Many farmers have told us that the increased prices for steel would collectively add hundreds of millions of dollars in cost to them. This can’t happen.” The senators also note that Iowans have rebuilt before and will do it again, but “there’s no reason to make it any harder than it needs to be.” Back in early August, a historic derecho storm swept through the state doing enormous amounts of damage.