Trade
After more than a year of waiting, China granted 5-year registration extensions to 425 U.S. beef plants and added new approvals. The move follows Trump–Xi talks in China this week, signaling a trade breakthrough.
Rising input costs and geopolitical tensions drive growing pessimism among ag economists, though views differ on how the industry is being reshaped, according to the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor.
A new reciprocal trade agreement with Ecuador is set to transform a minimal market into a promising opportunity for U.S. beef and pork producers.
Ambassador Julie Callahan outlines a transactional approach to global trade, targeting market access and regulatory reform
Halstrom says strong global demand is driven by the unique marbling and rich taste of U.S. corn-fed beef, giving it a premium edge in global markets, even in countries that once focused on lower-cost protein.
In a major decision, the Supreme Court rules President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs using national emergency laws.
New trade agreement with Taiwan eliminates barriers and expands market access for U.S. beef and pork exports.
In 2026, imports decide how painful the grind gets, exports decide whether the carcass pencils, and policy decides how fast everything can change.
The proclamation authorizes an 80,000 metric ton increase in in-quota lean beef trimmings imports in 2026. Economists say retail beef prices are unlikely to drop without impacting producers.
USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg says the big takeaway is establishing a level playing field for U.S. producers and building opportunities from there.
The December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows the farm economy will likely stay strained into 2026. As crops face tight margins, biofuels policy — especially E15 and biomass-based diesel — could influence recovery.
2026 will have USDA’s trade team in Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam
U.S. agricultural exporters depend on the binding nature of USMCA provisions to access its closest markets and make sales, lawmakers wrote in a letter to Ambassador Greer.
The change reverses part of a July trade action that had imposed elevated import duties on multiple categories of Brazilian goods and is the latest effort by the Trump administration to bring grocery prices down.
Customers crave the quality and consistency of U.S. pork, beef and lamb. That is helping the industry overcome market challenges, explained USMEF’s Dan Halstrom at the USMEF Conference in Indianapolis.
Oklahoma State’s Derrell Peel says the beef industry needs time — not politics or policy — to solve beef supply and demand realities.
USMCA has been a boon for the American meat, livestock and poultry sector, along with the broader American food and agriculture economy and ancillary industries, The Meat Institute says in comments to the USTR.
On Wednesday, Secretary Rollins announced a plan for American ranchers and consumers as Trump posted comments on social media regarding tariff impact on beef prices.
The European Union will provide preferential market access for pork, has committed to streamlining requirements for U.S. pork sanitary certificates, and intends to address other non-tariff barriers affecting agricultural trade.
Removing all non-tariff barriers would open the doors for U.S. beef and pork demand in Indonesia.
The Trump administration announces trade breakthroughs giving U.S. beef producers greater access to Australia, Japan and South Korea.
On Saturday, President Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1. The announcement came after a string of new tariff threats last week.
Secretary Rollins takes decisive action and shuts down cattle, bison and equine trade due to further northward spread of the devastating pest in Mexico.
The deal, according to President Trump, allows the U.S. “total access” to Vietnam’s markets with a zero tariff on U.S. products exported to Vietnam.
Following a New World screwworm assessment by USDA staff in Mexico and ongoing conversations between Secretary Rollins and the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, USDA will start reopening the ports for cattle, bison and equine.
Two studies illuminate food prices for the holiday barbecue season.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins was questioned by several House Ag Committee members about USDA’s cuts, including the impact of the 6,000 DOGE firings at the agency, that were later reinstated by the court.