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
Despite tariffs having a less significant impact on exports, corn producers struggle with tariff-related increases on inputs, which complicates their bottom line.
Prepare for acute UAN risk and a brief urea shock; maintain steady ammonia and phosphate plans, and monitor potash basis on the coasts.
Software developers at John Deere Digital are addressing challenges with their new Operations Center, which helps farmers make decisions on the fly.
“A government shutdown impacts all Americans and has serious consequences, including for farmers. It just adds additional uncertainty, disrupts critical services.”
Agricultural exports continue to be a key contributor to rural employment. However, rural businesses still struggle to fill numerous job openings.
On Champions of Rural America, Rep. Dusty Johnson underscores the Western Caucus’ ongoing commitment to advocating for farmers and rural communities.
Consumer demand for regional food systems is strong, but the challenge lies in scaling production and infrastructure to meet that growing need.
National FFA Organization Chief Program Officer Christine White previews the programs and activities planned for this year’s FFA Convention.