US, Colombia Avoid Trade War Over Deportations

Reuters’ Phil Stewart and Oliver Griffin reported Monday morning that “the U.S. and Colombia pulled back from the brink of a trade war on Sunday after the White House said the South American nation had agreed to accept military aircraft carrying deported migrants.” “U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs and sanctions on Colombia to […]

US Share of China Soybean Market Fell to 21% in 2024

Reuters Ella Cao and Mei Mei Chu reported on Monday that “China’s soybean imports from the United States dropped 5.7% in 2024 from the previous year and were replaced by Brazilian and Argentine shipments, as fears of a renewed Sino-US trade war further hammered the US market share to under a quarter.” “China imported a […]

Trump Says Canada, Mexico May Get 25% Tariff by Feb. 1

Reuters’ David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Jarrett Renshaw reported Monday evening that “President Donald Trump did not immediately impose tariffs on Monday as previously promised but said he was thinking about imposing 25% duties on imports from Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 over illegal immigrants and fentanyl crossing into the U.S.” “As he was […]

Trump Won’t Rule Out Military Action to Take Panama Canal

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reported Tuesday that “President-elect Trump on Tuesday refused to commit to not using the U.S. military to gain control of the Panama Canal, after vowing last month to take over operation of the key passageway.” “Trump was questioned during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago about his recently targeting the canal as […]

Trump Says He Won’t Narrow Universal Tariff Plans

Bloomberg’s Ramsey Al-Rikabi and Maria Luiza Rabello reported Monday that “President-elect Donald Trump denied a Washington Post report that his aides are considering narrowing his tariff plan so that it would only apply to limited specific critical imports.” “‘The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist, incorrectly states that my […]

Trump Threatens to Take Back Panama Canal

Reuters’ Gram Slattery reported Sunday that “President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.” “Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he […]

US Wins GMO Corn Dispute with Mexico

Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer reported this past Friday that “the US has prevailed in its dispute with Mexico over genetically modified corn that threatened shipments to America’s top customer of the grain.” “An arbitration panel under the USMCA trade agreement issued its final ruling agreeing with the US that Mexico’s efforts to halt imports of GMO […]

Trump Picks ‘China Hawk’ Jamieson Greer as Trade Rep

Politico’s Doug Palmer, Betsy Woodruff Swan and Ari Hawkins reported that “President-elect Donald Trump picked Jamieson Greer to be U.S. trade representative, elevating a figure little known outside of Washington to what is expected to be one of the most important posts in the incoming administration.” “Greer, a former Air Force lawyer turned trade litigator, […]

Trump Commerce Pick Increases Concerns of China Trade War

AgWeb’s Jim Wiesemeyer reported Wednesday that “President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, as Commerce Secretary highlights plans to leverage tariffs in trade negotiations, with Lutnick emphasizing their use as both a revenue source and bargaining tool.” “Lutnick has called the tariffs a negotiating tool that could be used to […]

New US-China Trade War Could Cost Farmers Billions

United States corn and soybean farmers could lose billions of dollars in annual production value in the event of a potential new tariff-induced US-China trade war, according to a new economic study commissioned by the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association and conducted by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services. The […]

Ag Economists Say Both Presidential Candidates Bad for Trade

A majority of agriculture economists surveyed in the September Ag Economists Monthly Monitor say that both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump would hurt trade in the United States as president. Of the 70 ag economists surveyed for the Monthly Monitor, 86% say a Trump administration would hurt United States trade, while 55% say a Harris […]

Ukraine Ag Sector War Losses Could Top $80 Billion

Reuters reported at the beginning of October that “indirect losses in Ukraine’s key agricultural sector caused by the Russian invasion could reach $83 billion by the end of 2025, mainly due to falling harvests, the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) said on Thursday. Ukraine is a global major grower and exporter of grain, vegetable oils […]

East & Gulf Coast Port Strike Ends

Reuters’ Doyinsola Oladipo and David Shepardson reported late Thursday that “U.S. dock workers and port operators reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, the two sides said Thursday.” “The tentative agreement is for a wage hike of […]

US Port Strike Could Affect Ag Shipping

The Financial Times’ Taylor Nicole Rogers reported Sunday that “businesses are bracing for a strike at three dozen US ports that could upend supply chains and raise prices just weeks before election day.” “The International Longshoremen’s Association says its 25,000 members will walk off the job if the union does not come to a new […]

Panama Canal Increasing Ship Traffic After Drought

Bloomberg’s Michael D McDonald reported on Tuesday that “the Panama Canal is lifting restrictions that caused a global shipping bottleneck as water levels normalize after a severe drought.” “The Panama Canal Authority increased the draft in the waterway to a maximum 50 feet and will allow 36 vessels a day to transit after recent rains […]

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