Opportunity Is Now: Lawmakers hope the new Administration will open new ag export markets

As the Trump Administration works to balance U.S. trade books, lawmakers on the Ways and Means Committee are frustrated with a lack of progress over the last four years.

Congressman Randy Feenstra of Iowa says the Biden Administration opened zero new trade markets.

“So when you talk about export markets, whether it be corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, we haven’t opened anything; cattle, hogs, dairy, and now we have that opportunity. We’re really working with the Administration right now. Everyone is hearing about tariffs, but I’m also hearing about the opportunity to have new export markets for all our commodities, and that’s exciting to hear about.”

Feenstra says there are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for agriculture, and he hopes to see greater market access over the next four years.

Related Stories
The idea of buying more beef from Argentina does not sit well with much of farm country, raising some questions from analysts and producers.
Shaun Haney, Host of RealAg Radio, discusses President Trump’s move to halt trade talks with Canada and Mexico over a commercial about tariffs launched by the Government of Ontario.
The President’s trip to Asia this week follows a trade mission by the Iowa Soybean Association. Farmers say they were reminded that U.S. soybeans have an international reputation that can be easy to take for granted here at home.
The review signals renewed scrutiny of China’s agricultural trade pledges and could reshape farm export opportunities depending on its outcome.
The U.S.-Japan tech pact signals long-term investment in bio-innovation, connectivity, and secure supply chains — all of which can strengthen rural manufacturing, ag exports, and digital infrastructure critical to the next generation of farm productivity.
Export volumes remain positive year-to-date, but weaker soybean loadings and slowing wheat movement hint at early bottlenecks in global demand or river logistics. Farmers should watch basis levels and freight conditions as export competition heats up.