The President of the PS Açores warned of the negative impacts of the tariffs imposed by the United States on European agricultural products, and criticized the Chega party’s support for measures that put the competitiveness of Azorean products, such as São Jorge cheese, at risk.
“We know that the United States has increased tariffs on European products exported to the United States, which will also affect Azorean products, namely São Jorge cheese,” said the Socialist leader, highlighting the incongruity of the Chega party, which ”claims to be the party of farmers, but at the same time supports President Trump’s tariffs.”
For the Socialist candidate in the legislative elections on May 18, these tariffs do double harm to the Azores, making regional products more expensive on international markets and increasing domestic competition.
“All the products competing with São Jorge cheese and Azorean dairy products that enter the United States will have to look for other markets, and by looking for other markets they will enter markets that compete with Azorean products,” he said.

According to the socialist, who was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with the Union of Agricultural Dairy Cooperatives of São Jorge, Chega is also the party “that thinks that the European Union should impose barriers to the entry of products”, a measure that “would end up hurting Azorean farmers”, since “the only product that would go up with these tariffs would be fuel”.
On this occasion, and in addition to the tariff issue, the President of PS Açores identified two other serious risks for the agricultural sector: the apportionments in the POSEI program starting next year and the freight transport system in the region, which compromises the islands’ export and supply capacity.
“It’s very difficult to predict when the ships will arrive so that the goods can be received or exported,” said Francisco César, advocating ‘a change in the system for transporting cargo and goods to the mainland’.
For the President of the PS/Azores and candidate for the legislative elections on May 18th, these are risks that are currently worrying “the Azorean economy and, in particular, the agricultural sector”.

In Diário dso Açores-Osvaldo Cabral-director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.