Trade
China is making strategic moves by purchasing more soybeans from Argentina and may soon follow the EU and reopen its market to Brazilian chicken exports.
“There is no free trade without fair trade!”
Retaliatory tariffs have left Louisiana rice farmers in the middle of international trade disputes.
Is there a way to pivot away from China?
“The producer is excited about planting. He’s not excited about these prices.”
Imports
The Fertilizer Research Act, reintroduced by Sens. Grassley, Ernst, and Baldwin, would direct the USDA to study and publish public reports on competition and pricing trends in the fertilizer market.
Tariffs are pushing up input costs, with fertilizer prices rising $100 per ton and machinery costs climbing due to steel and parts duties.
Exports
Strong ethanol production and export trends continue to support corn demand despite seasonal fuel consumption softness.
Cotton demand depends on demonstrating performance and reliability buyers can rely on, not messaging alone.
A look at the legislative year ahead as lawmakers return to Washington with a slate of trade concerns to tackle in 2026—from new Chinese tariffs on beef imports to the USMCA review this summer.