Short version of this this story on NPR:
The US is the world's largest cotton producer. The US government subsidizes cotton farmers, in violation of trade rules. We've lost multiple cases at the World Trade Organization over this, in fact. Brazil's cotton farmers are pissed about this, because our subsidies reduce the price they can charge for their cotton. In retaliation, they got their government to threaten US businesses with a bunch of tariffs. These US businesses got the US government to fix the problem... and the US government fixed it by ...
How fucking stupid is that ?
We pay Brazilian farmers a subsidy to allow them to compete with our farmers, to whom we also pay a subsidy which allows them to compete with other farmers.
Heh
I’m sure the tea party people recently elected will get this fixed right quick.