Traveling for Trade: Rollins seeks new global trade markets for U.S. crops

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins will travel to Europe and Asia to seek new trade partnerships for U.S. crops after China reduced imports due to tariffs.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will be on the road over the next few weeks. She will first stop in the United Kingdom, searching for additional new markets for U.S. crops. Then she will travel to Japan to follow up on President Donald Trump‘s latest trade deal, which is worth half a trillion dollars.

———

Rollins Makes the Most of New Trade Deal with Japan

During an exclusive interview with RFD-TV News, Secretary Rollins said she’s hoping this will make up for Trump’s tariff agenda, which led to a strained trade relationship with China, previously one of the top importers of U.S. agricultural products.

“Eight billion [dollars] a year in commitment from Japan to bring in more soybeans, corn, ethanol, et cetera — and that’s just a massive number that’s going to make a huge difference,” Rollins told RFD-TV on Friday. “Of course, we’ve talked a lot about China being our biggest buyer in some of these commodities, and certainly we need China, especially for soybeans and others, right now. But we have to look to other areas of the world. The new trade deal with Japan includes $550 billion in projects that the U.S. will select.

The U.S. will put a baseline 15% tariff on all Japanese imports, with sector-specific duties on goods like vehicles. It also gives a big boost to row crops like corn and soybeans, with Japan agreeing to ramp up purchases of those U.S. crops.

Related Stories
Among many longstanding traditions at the FFA Convention & Expo is the National FFA Band.
Pork producers are making Veterans Day a little brighter for Iowa’s military families.
If confirmed, early Chinese buys tighten nearby Gulf/PNW capacity and could bump basis in export-oriented regions.
Trade pacts with Malaysia and Cambodia unlock tariff-free and preferential lanes for key U.S. farm goods, expanding long-term demand in Southeast Asia.
Alan Bjerga, Senior Vice President of Communications with the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), shares updates and resources available to dairy producers.
As we continue our Countdown to Convention presented by Culver’s, we meet some of the people who help bring the event to life.
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.
Input costs are top of mind for farmers, as they contribute to higher prices and smaller profits.
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.