Sec. Brooke Rollins: “Significant trade agreement announcements” are coming down the pipeline soon

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins was in the hot seat twice in one week, this time before a House Appropriations Committee, defending USDA’s budget for next year.

When pressed on making up lost dollars from recent trade action, Rollins said the President’s team is already working on solutions.

“I have never been more encouraged about what is going to happen. The deals will begin to be announced very soon. It may be private, but we’ve got several of our Cabinet Secretaries heading out across the world, not just myself; in the UK, the President is heading to the Middle East, our Secretary of Treasury is headed out, our Secretary of Commerce is headed out. We are very, very close to significant trade agreement announcements. No one will benefit more than our farmers and our ranchers.”

Rollins tells lawmakers her vision moving forward is prioritizing food safety, weeding out wasteful spending, and allowing states to better serve their communities.

Related Stories
President Donald Trump speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, addressing SNAP spending, tariff threats against Europe, market reactions, and the upcoming USMCA review.
Corn and wheat exports remain a demand bright spot, while soybeans are transitioning into a more typical late-winter shipping slowdown.
Despite rising costs and growing food insecurity, meat demand remained strong in 2025 as higher-income consumers offset cutbacks elsewhere. Economists break down the K-shaped economy, upcoming USDA cattle reports, livestock production outlooks, and renewed debate over beef imports and country-of-origin labeling heading into 2026.
From rising trade tensions in Europe to a pending Supreme Court decision on tariffs and shifting demand from China, global trade policy spearheaded by President Donald Trump continues to shape the outlook for U.S. agriculture—adding uncertainty as farmers navigate another volatile year.
The Surface Transportation Board rejects the proposed Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific merger, prompting concerns from agricultural shippers about rail consolidation, service reliability, and higher transportation costs.
Freight volatility and route selection remain critical to soybean export margins and competitiveness.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

FarmHER Chris Nellis and her daughters navigate loss while carrying on a 300-year farm legacy, milking cows in upstate New York.
USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg joined us with a recap of the Malaysia trade mission and a look at USDA’s broader trade strategy moving forward.
Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition shares how extreme winter weather is affecting the ag transportation network and what producers should keep in mind as conditions slowly improve.
Matt Brockman, Communications Director for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, joined us with a look at how the legendary event is moving forward—weather and all.
Roger McEowen, with the Washburn School of Law, offers an in-depth look at two of the top legal issues of 202. Today, he walks through last year’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) ruling and “lawfare.”
Lewis Williamson of HTS Commodities joined us with an update on the historic winter storm impacts and his outlook on today’s ag markets.