President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week to secure a trade deal with Japan, including 15 percent baseline tariffs on most goods, including the automobile industry.
Under the deal, Japan will invest $550 billion in projects and maximize its purchase of U.S. agricultural goods, including soybeans, corn, and commercial aircraft.
The deal had been made in Japan, but was finally signed after weeks of negotiating. Under that agreement, it included 75 percent higher imports of U.S. rice and $8 billion worth of agricultural products, according to MSN.
Story via Annik Bao with MSN
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While the agriculture industry hoped details on proposed “bridge” payments for farmers would be released this week, Ag Secretary Brook Rollins said the USDA is still working with the White House on the finer points.
China’s renewed purchases signal improving sorghum demand at a time when export markets are otherwise uneven. Meanwhile, agriculture groups across the U.S, Canada, and Mexico want to protect close trade relations.
Pressure on grain storage capacity and stronger export positioning are pushing more grain onto railroads, highways, and river systems as logistics become a key bottleneck this fall.
The Cotton-4 are pushing hard for new value chain investments. Still, many U.S. cotton producers face unsustainable losses, and weakened regional textile capacity threatens the survival of the Carolina “dirt-to-shirt” supply chain.
Despite the need for swift action, many ag lawmakers and industry groups argue that farm aid alone will likely not be sufficient to help farmers without improved trade relations with China.
