Trade
According to the latest USDA data released from the U.S. Meat Export Federation, beef exports to China dropped 70% in April and pork exports fell 35%. With trade talks ongoing, there is optimism for the remainder of the year.
A federal court ruled Wednesday that an emergency law does not provide President Trump with unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country. The interruption was short-lived after a federal appeals court granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily pause a lower-court ruling.
A company’s population is a factor affecting its beef trade. Population and per capita consumption drives total beef consumption.
In parts of Central America, illegal ranching on protected lands has become a front for drug trafficking and money laundering. The ripple effects of this trend now threaten U.S. cattle producers with the resurgence of a deadly livestock pest.
After suspending live cattle imports from Mexico and a trip to the UK to talk trade, the secretary of agriculture looks ahead to domestic affairs and the anticipated May 22 MAHA report.
NCBA applauds Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ aggressive efforts to suspend Mexican cattle, horse and bison imports, saying Mexico’s corruption and mismanagement has caused the pest to spread closer to the U.S.
Due to the northward spread of New World Screwworm, a month-by-month suspension is effective immediately and will continue until a significant window of containment is achieved.
The deal decreases U.K.’s ethanol tariff from 19% to 0%, creates an opportunity for cattle ranchers to export millions more and opens a $100 million market with free access for rice farmers, says Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture.
U.S. ag products, including beef and ethanol, experienced a $5 billion victory today with the U.S.-UK trade deal.
Addressing costs to producing crops or livestock also tackles the issue of the long-term sustainability of individual farmers and ranchers and U.S. agriculture.
Agriculture is an export dependent business. At peak uncertainty, the industry could go either way: Gain ground with new trade deals or take a big hit as exports further decline.
The administration created a “top 10 list” that includes the fishing industry, agricultural land deforestation in Brazil that impacts beef and soy production and Mexican avocados produced on illegally deforested lands.
USMEF submitted comments to address higher shipping fees and possible port reductions that would affect the red meat industry.
Trade is important to the U.S. beef industry — both exports and imports.
Ocean shipping transports about 80% of global trade — from coal and corn to bananas and cement. The revisions tackle major concerns from the global maritime industry that feared virtually every cargo carrier could face steep, stacking fees.
“We’re only 15 days into this. It feels like a year, right?” says Matt Clark, senior rural economy analyst. “I catch myself feeling very overwhelmed by the news flow, a lot has happened in 15 days.”
On her list of issues to tackle, says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, is deciding if farmers will need another round of assistance payments later this year and if USDA headquarters should be relocated.
The tit-for-tat on tariffs between the U.S. and China continues, with China announcing on Friday a new rate of 125%, which is up from the 84% announced earlier this week. That pushes the tariff on U.S. pork and pork variety meat to 172%. The new soybean tariff is more than 150%.
After China retaliated with its own tariffs, the U.S. said on Tuesday that 104% duties on imports from China would take effect shortly after midnight, even as the Trump administration moved to quickly start talks with other trading partners targeted by Trump’s sweeping tariff plan.
The senior senator from Iowa is renewing a long-standing legislative effort to wrestle back authority on trade deals and tariffs from the executive branch.
China accounted for 14% of total U.S. beef export volume last year and 15% of export value as well as 15% of total U.S. pork export volume and 13% of export value, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Farmers and farm groups have mixed reactions and lingering questions following President Trump’s announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs. Will farmers receive aid to offset tariff impact? How will U.S. trading partners react?
President Trump has announced a series of tariffs, scheduled to roll out over the next few days, on some of agriculture’s most significant trade partners. The outcomes could be a net positive for cattlemen, some beef industry members say.
In a Wednesday morning press conference, ahead of Trump announcing his global tariff plan, Sheinbaum says Mexico will “announce a comprehensive program, not a tit for tat on tariffs,” but added, “we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance.”
The downturn in the ag economy has everyone from farmers and ag lenders to even ag economists concerned. Waning optimism is an overriding theme for the row crop side of agriculture, yet some farmers hope President Donald Trump’s tough stance on trade can get the ag economy back on track longer-term.
With tariffs and trade in focus again, a recent AgWeb poll asked farmers if they support President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating strategy.
Most of that news and conversation centers on higher prices that will be the result in tariffs, but is there more to the story?
The majority of respondents in the March Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor agree the U.S. is currently in a trade war, but who wins? Ag economists say it’s not the U.S., Canada or Mexico but rather Brazil that could come out on top.
Tariff whiplash is consuming the commodity markets — and the possible impact is stirring up quite the debate. At present, President Trump says he’s sticking to his plan to impose additional tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China starting April 2.
While tariffs are negative for grain and hog producers, tariffs on U.S. beef and cattle imports have a net effect of tightening supplies and that’s price positive.