Trade
The first trading day of 2025 saw the U.S. dollar hit a two-year high, but the strength of the dollar in 2024 also had a major impact on commodity markets.
The world has changed—and for American farmers, it has changed in ways that require both resilience and innovation.
Improving trade and technology for farmers is the best way to keep American agriculture great.
The mere threat of his universal tariffs is sparking a scramble that’s leaving the global trading system prone to bottlenecks, saddled with higher costs and vulnerable to disruptions should an economic shock come along.
The impact of these tariffs would extend beyond farmers, affecting rural communities where agricultural activities play a crucial economic role.
“I know people are concerned about the tariffs, but the fact is, [Trump] looks at tariffs as a way to get their attention and eventually to get better and reciprocal trade agreements,” says Terry Branstad.
The Fertilizer Institute’s 2024 Fertilizer Industry Economic Impact Study details the contributions of the U.S. fertilizer industry to the economy and also explains the global nature of fertilizer markets.
As federal policy decisions tend to heavily impact rural industries, the outcome of the 2024 election promises to significantly shape the rural economy in the year ahead. CoBank’s annual report outlines what to expect.
Nutrien focuses its business on helping feed a growing global population “from the ground up.”
For the ag sector, Brazil is positioned to be the big winner and France the big loser.
The expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline could play a pivotal role in mitigating the potential impacts of tariffs threatened by President-elect Donald Trump on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico until they clamped down on drugs, particularly fentanyl, and migrants crossing the border, in a move that would appear to violate a free-trade deal.
New World Screwworm is a serious veterinary pest that can cause severe damage to livestock and wildlife populations. The detection of New World Screwworm in Mexico and the subsequent USDA actions may have significant implications on trade and travel.
The question becomes whether threats of tariffs include barring used cooking oil imports outright or merely tariffing the product, especially from China.
Brazil’s amendments to its domestic policies and increasing biodiesel mandates are likely to reduce the availability of used cooking oil for export, potentially reshaping its role in the global biofuel market.
Ambassador Terry Branstad was the first U.S. state governor to host Xi Jinping in 1985, so he carries the unique distinction of being called an “old friend” by the Chinese leader as well as a friend to President Donald Trump.
Trump taps Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary, signaling tariff-heavy trade strategy. Lutnick has called the tariffs a negotiating tool that could be used to convince other countries to bring down their own levies or to force companies to move production to the U.S.
The emphasis on domestic agriculture reflects a broader trend in Mexican policy that could challenge existing trade agreements and alter the dynamics of agricultural exports between the two countries.
Threats of widespread tariffs and concerns about retaliation continue to stoke uneasiness in agriculture. With a growing trade deficit and hopes the U.S. could re-embark on the Phase One trade deal with China, could the focus back on trade be positive for agriculture?
Mexico is self-sufficient in white corn, used to make the country’s staple tortilla, but imports genetically-modified yellow corn from the United States which is used largely to feed livestock.
Tariffs, while disruptive, are often used as leverage in trade disputes and contribute to market volatility.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called for Canada to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S. unless Mexico aligns with North American partners on tariffs for Chinese imports.
Financial Times reports say President-elect Donald Trump has asked Robert Lightizer to return as U.S. trade representative.
The good news is a Trump presidency and Republican-controlled Senate might result in fewer regulations and lower taxes. The bad news is the U.S. could be headed for a possible trade war with China and other countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping would much prefer to avoid a tariff battle that risks proving much more devastating than the first round.
U.S. agricultural exports totaled $13.13 billion in September against imports of $17.39 billion, resulting in a monthly trade deficit of $4.26 billion.
The British Columbia ports labor dispute continues, impacting exports at Canada’s biggest port in Vancouver with no sign of negotiating progress.
China braces for continued superpower rivalry regardless of the U.S. election outcome.
Mexico came in with another big buy of U.S. corn on Friday. USDA reported a sale of 781,322 metric tons of corn for delivery to Mexico.
I believe in the power of flowers, and that means I also believe in the power of trade, sustainability, and technology as fundamental bases of the agro-industry.