Soy leaders are keeping a close watch on tariff action out of the White House. China is a major buyer of U.S. soybeans, and economists warn the situation could quickly heat up.
“They dominate the global oil seed market and they import more than the rest of the world combined. And in 2018, when those Section 301 retaliatory tariffs went into place, we saw prices drop overnight by $2.00 a bushel and our market share evaporate. You know, USDA’s Economic Research Service put out a study assessing the economic damages done to us as a result of the trade. It showed $27 billion in losses for U.S. ag, and of that amount, our soybeans accounted for 71%,” said Virginia Houston.
President Trump has given both Canada and Mexico a February 1st start date for tariffs. Some ag leaders have warned the plan could backfire, while others support the move as an effort to boost U.S. trade.
U.S. agriculture entered the week with mixed signals as weather, logistics, and markets shaped early-year decisions. Here is a regional breakdown of domestic crop and livestock production for the week of Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
January 19, 2026 11:40 AM
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RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey speaks with Texas’s Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez about USMCA renegotiation and its impact on U.S.–Mexico agriculture trade.
January 17, 2026 05:00 PM
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Rising rural business confidence supports local ag economies, but taxes and labor shortages remain key constraints.
January 17, 2026 02:00 PM
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CoBank Knowledge Exchange’s Jeff Johnston shares the group’s positive perspective on expanding data centers into rural areas and weighs the risks and rewards for those communities.
January 16, 2026 01:44 PM
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Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
January 16, 2026 01:28 PM
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The Pennsylvania Farm Show continues through Saturday, wrapping up another successful year of celebrating agriculture in the Commonwealth.
January 16, 2026 01:26 PM
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