Op-Ed by Sid Miller, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

The Trump Administration is considering tariffs on beer imported from Mexico. As Texas Agriculture Commissioner and a lifelong farmer and rancher, I support policies that restore fairness and protect American producers from unfair foreign competition.

Here's why.

I have spent my career fighting for Texas agriculture—as a farmer and rancher, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, and now as Texas Agriculture Commissioner, overseeing one of the largest agricultural economies in the world.

Texas farmers and ranchers contribute more than $100 billion to our state's economy each year. They feed our families, sustain rural communities, create jobs, and provide the raw materials that power American manufacturing. When Texas agriculture is strong, Texas is strong.

But farmers and ranchers don't succeed on their own. They rely on strong domestic industries that buy American-grown crops, livestock, and agricultural products. Protecting agriculture means protecting the entire supply chain—from the farm and ranch to the processor, manufacturer, distributor, and ultimately, the consumer.

The American brewing industry is a perfect example. Domestic brewers purchase more than $1 billion in agricultural products from American farmers each year, including barley, corn, rice, wheat, and other grains. Those purchases support growers, maltsters, truck drivers, processors, equipment suppliers, and countless small businesses across rural America.

When foreign imports replace American-made products, the damage doesn't stop at the factory gate—it reaches all the way back to the farm.

Over the past two decades, imported beer has captured nearly one-quarter of the U.S. market, with more than 80 percent of those imports coming from Mexico. American producers are forced to compete against companies operating with significantly lower labor costs and under different environmental, workplace, and regulatory standards.

That isn't free trade. It's an uneven playing field that puts American manufacturers—and the farmers and ranchers who supply them—at a disadvantage.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has already documented weakening demand for malted barley and other agricultural ingredients used in domestic brewing. At a time when farmers face soaring input costs, volatile commodity prices, unpredictable weather, and razor-thin margins, they cannot afford to lose dependable domestic customers to foreign competitors benefiting from structural advantages.

This debate is about far more than beer. It's about preserving America's agricultural and manufacturing base. We've already watched too many industries move overseas, taking jobs, investment, and opportunity with them. We shouldn't stand by while the same thing happens to industries that purchase billions of dollars in American agricultural products.

When we strengthen domestic manufacturing, we strengthen the farmers, ranchers, processors, suppliers, and rural communities that depend on it. We also reinforce our food security, protect American jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign production.

Texas farmers and ranchers are resilient. Every day they battle drought, floods, rising costs, volatile markets, and countless challenges beyond their control. The least our government can do is ensure they aren't also competing in a trade system stacked against them.

Fair trade starts on the American farm. Protecting American manufacturers means protecting American agriculture, American workers, and the rural communities that keep this country running.

Sid Miller is the 12th Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. He was first elected in 2014 and is currently serving in his third term. He is a farmer, rancher, and a former six-term member of the Texas House of Representatives where he served as Chair of the Agriculture and Livestock and the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committees.