The Rural Mainstreet Index has been steadily climbing over the last four months, signaling improving conditions in farm country. However, the man behind the RMI, Ernie Goss from Creighton University, says he has his eyes on two issues; trade and interest rates. A Farm Journal report says Goss credits exports as one of the biggest reasons for improving economic conditions, …
USDA Heavily Involved in Trade Talks
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service has been “intimately involved” with U.S. trade negotiators and will be included in an upcoming trip to China. Politico says the U.S. delegation will be led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says the Foreign Ag Service, “was at Secretary Ross’ left elbow last week during the discussions specifically on commodities we …
Trump Raises Doubts About U.S.-Chinese Trade
President Donald Trump cast doubts on Wednesday regarding the prospects for talks between the U.S. and China that are aimed at heading off a trade war. An Associated Press report says just four days after the two countries suspended their plans to impose up to $200 billion in tariffs on each other, Trump declared in a tweet that a more …
U.S. and Mexico Talking Cars in NAFTA 2.0 Discussions
Two sources familiar with the negotiations have told Bloomberg that the U.S. and Mexico are discussing automobiles in an attempt to break an impasse over auto-production rules in an updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The anonymous sources say officials are meeting to discuss Mexico’s automotive proposal. The auto issue has been a key sticking point during the nine …
Administration Discord Over China Tariffs
Sources close to the White House tell Bloomberg that President Donald Trump backed off imposing billions of dollars in tariffs on Chinese goods because of discord within the administration. There’s also concern within the White House over the possibility of harming negotiations with North Korea. Trump also reportedly succumbed to pressure from farm-state Republicans, who heavily lobbied the administration to …
U.S.-China Trade War a Win For Other Nations?
A Politico report says the real winners of a trade war with China could be some of America’s top global trade competitors. As the two countries push toward a trade deal, long-term trends could be stacked against American producers when it comes to Beijing’s consumption. China will likely keep pouring resources into other countries in an attempt to diversify its …
Japan, Russia, and Turkey Talk Potential Trade Retaliation
The World Trade Organization says Japan, Russia, and Turkey have all warned the United States about possible trade retaliation for U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. An Agriculture Dot Com article says those tariffs would up the total U.S. tariff bill around the world to $3.5 billion annually. The three countries recently notified the World Trade Organization of their …
A Rise in Meat Production, Price and Trade in 2019
With perhaps one exception, USDA expects to see increases in U.S. meat production, price and trade next year. Rod Bain has the details. A Rise in Meat Production, Price and Trade in 2019 Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the …
What’s Next for China-U.S. Trade?
Politico says the preliminary trade agreement between China and the U.S. announced over the weekend raises more questions than it answers. No one knows how soon it comes together and things start to happen. While China agreed to buy significantly more American agricultural products, there aren’t any hard numbers attached to that promise yet. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will …
Farmers for Free Trade Suggestions on Improving China/U.S. Trade Relations
Farmers for Free Trade call the framework of a trade agreement between the U.S. and China as a good first step toward ending tensions that have hurt American agriculture. The group applauds the Trump Administration’s focus on supporting U.S. agricultural exports. However, they do note that there’s still a lot of work to do in order to put a solid …