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
RFD-TV Farm Legal and Tax Expert Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law dives into a “potpourri” of ag tax and law-related issues in his latest Firm to Farm blog post.
Market analyst Kevin Huddleston said news of trade deals could rebound cotton prices in late fall, and producers need to be ready to strike deals.
Texas A&M 4-H Director Montza Williams joins for an update on the expected timeline for the program’s new facility and all the associated benefits.
From tinkering with machines to building projects from scratch, students in the National FFA Organization develop skills to help shape future careers.
Lewis Williamson, from HTS Commodities, joined us to share insights on the farm economy from producers in the field.
Key signs of the U.S. beef herd’s recovery are improved pasture conditions, lower feed costs, and increased regulatory alignment and support for producers to implement targeted grazing practices.
Dr. Mark Svoboda with the National Drought Mitigation Center discusses a new global drought report and resources to help operations increase drought resilience.
Congress has just over a month of working days left for the year. Plan for uneven USDA service until funding is restored, and closely monitor Farm Bill talks, as avoiding Permanent Law before January 1 is the single biggest risk to markets and milk prices.
Focus on home radon testing—not changing your diet—because background sources vastly outweigh any exposure from naturally radioactive foods.