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Are USDA tariff-relief payment data and formulas for each commodity publicly available and where to find them?
Executive summary
USDA has in past tariff-relief efforts published per‑commodity payment formulas and datasets (for programs like the 2018–19 Market Facilitation Program and related purchase/aid packages), and current 2025 programs (ECAP, SDRP, Seafood Trade Relief Program) include program webpages or fact sheets where payment methods, eligible commodities, and sometimes per‑unit rates or formulas are described (examples: MFP/2018–19 tables and ECAP program guidance) [1] [2] [3]. Reporting in November 2025 shows USDA is preparing new tariff‑related relief and has moved large sums ($12–13 billion) into accounts for farmer relief, but program details and public release timing for per‑commodity payment schedules for the 2025 tariff relief remain in flux in available reporting [4] [5] [6].
1. What has USDA published before — concrete formulas and per‑commodity tables
USDA’s earlier trade‑aid programs are documented with explicit commodity lists, per‑unit payment rates, and the formulas used to set those rates: Congressional and USDA materials from the 2018–19 MFP show tables listing 29 commodities with purchase values and describe using a “gross trade damage” formula to set per‑unit payment rates; CRS and USDA press releases include commodity payment tables and program calculations [1] [7]. Likewise, archived program pages such as the Seafood Trade Relief Program explain how payment rates were determined (e.g., comparison of 2019 versus 2017 landings to set per‑pound rates) and provide program‑level detail [8].
2. Where to look now — the public pages that typically publish formulas and data
When USDA runs commodity relief programs it commonly posts program pages, press releases, fact sheets, and FSA forms with eligibility, formulas, per‑commodity rates or methodology. Examples to check first are: USDA press releases and program pages (USDA news and program pages), the FSA fact sheets and county office application instructions (FSA/SRDP fact sheet archive), and archived Farmers.gov program pages (Market Facilitation Program and Seafood pages) — these have historically included payment tables or the methodology for rate calculation [7] [3] [8] [9].
3. What 2025 programs say so far — ECAP, SDRP, and the story around new tariff relief
For 2025 assistance, USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) published eligibility and payment design notes: ECAP payments are based on planted and prevented planted acres for the 2024 crop year, initial payments are factored at 85% to stay within funding limits, and USDA referenced program webpages for details (fsa.usda.gov/ecap) [10]. Reporting on Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) Stage 2 points to FSA fact sheets with application procedures but not a single centralized per‑commodity tariff‑relief table in the excerpts provided [3]. News coverage in November 2025 confirms USDA officials are “crunching numbers” for tariff relief while $12–13 billion has been shifted or set aside for farmer relief, but those stories say the department is still working through formulas and eligibility amid a chaotic rollout and shutdown impacts [5] [6] [4].
4. How USDA normally communicates the math — what to expect once published
USDA historically released both the conceptual formula (e.g., percentage of estimated economic loss or a share of PLC reference price multiplied by yield and acres) and the per‑commodity per‑unit payment rates or tables used to calculate individual payments; Congress and CRS summaries capture those formulas (for example: a choice between 26% of calculated economic losses or 8% of PLC reference price times yield times eligible acres, per reporting on ECAP‑style formulas) [2]. Therefore, if and when USDA finalizes 2025 tariff relief, expect: a USDA press release, an FSA fact sheet with application/forms, and program webpages that disclose the formula and per‑commodity rates or at least the calculation method [2] [10].
5. Limits of available reporting and unanswered questions
Available sources do not mention a single consolidated public dataset today that lists finalized per‑farm payments for a 2025 tariff‑relief program; news reporting shows funds have been moved and USDA is developing calculations but stops short of a public per‑commodity, post‑shutdown spreadsheet being available yet [4] [5]. Also, while past programs (MFP/2018–19) produced detailed tables and CRS analyses, it’s not certain the exact same disclosure format will be used in 2025 — available reporting does not confirm that [1] [11].
6. Practical next steps for a researcher or farmer
Check these locations first and repeatedly for updates: USDA press releases and program pages (news releases and program links cited in past ECAP/SDRP materials), FSA county office fact sheets and forms (fsa.usda.gov/ecap and FSA fact sheets), and archived Farmers.gov program pages for past method examples [10] [3] [9]. For historical formulas and comparable tables, consult CRS and USDA archived materials on the 2018–19 trade aid packages and the Market Facilitation Program as templates for what USDA typically publishes [1] [11].
Sources: USDA program pages, FSA fact sheets and archived MFP/STRP pages; Congressional Research Service summaries and contemporary reporting noting funds and active calculations [1] [7] [8] [2] [10] [3] [5] [4] [6].