US Agriculture's Sonny Perdue says farmer aid could be less than first estimated

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $12 billion package to help offset losses from retaliatory tariffs on American exports could end up being smaller as the department looks to recalculate the amount after an agreement to update NAFTA, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Reuters in a phone interview, Perdue said talks to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada, which triggered retaliatory measures on U.S. agriculture, were just beginning.

Perdue also said he was confident the rule announced by President Donald Trump on Tuesday to allow higher-ethanol gasoline to be used all year would be ready before the driving season next year.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Peter Cooney