Nutrien in favor of removing phosphate tariffs
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/243...
US dairy sees Indonesian school meals program as model for exports
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/243...
Trade policy really is the gift that keeps on giving for us trade hacks. If it's not the US or China, it's Mercosur. EC "launched" provisional application today, but this won't happen overnight - plan for a few months time, maybe longer. borderlex.net/2026/02/27/e...
Senate Ag Committee also planning to mark up farm bill
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/242...
Brazil's Ag Powerhouse: Soy industry goes on sustainability offensive
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/242...
Global cotton trade flows are shifting. The US is gaining in Vietnam, as China clearly prefers Australia's product. From Southern Ag Today based on USDA data.
House Ways & Means Chair Jason Smith tells me he's not anticipating congressional votes on Sec. 122 tariffs. "We won't have to worry about that, because the president is going to do enough 301s, 232s to implement his [trade] strategy by then."
Note the pushback from Lange as well.
BASH: Let's start with the big question -- will you refund the roughly $134 billion taken by these tariffs?
BESSENT: That's not the big question. That's bad framing
BASH: Refunds are clearly gonna be up to you
BESSENT: No no no. It's not up to me or the administration. It's up to the lower court
Looks like the new 10% tariff will have similar ag input & food product carveouts as the reciprocal tariffs, as well as exempt USMCA-covered goods.
There is a lot for US ag to digest in this Indonesia deal, with some longstanding trade barriers that have been addressed. But the minimum purchase commitments may not be as robust as they seem. This says as long as Indonesia isn't erecting trade barriers, it won't be held to those quantities.
USDA chief economist: Economic headwinds to ease slightly in 2026
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/242...
The bottom line: There is no quick fix. Best-case scenario, Mato Grosso is years away from significantly reducing its soybean & corn export costs. But the US can't afford to be complacent. Investment interest is there. If Brazil can address the issue, shipping costs could fall by 30%, some say. 5/6
Farmers that want to take their own actions to lower transportation costs by increasing on-farm storage & avoid transporting & selling during peak times face borrowing rates of more than 15%. Low global commodity prices are also reducing lending in the country. 4/6
There are efforts underway to expand a rail network in the south of the state -- set for completion in 2031. But the real prize is a proposed 600-mile-plus rail line connecting producers to a barge network to the north. The project remains mired in the courts amid opposition from climate groups 3/6
Without an extensive rail network, producers in Mato Grosso are forced to load commodities onto trucks & send them hundreds of miles to the nearest rail or barge terminal -- or directly to the port for export. 2/6
Part 2 of my Brazil series is up, with a focus on the country's infrastructure challenges. Brazilian ag producers face high transportation costs for exports that prevent them from being even more competitive in global markets. 1/6
Cuts to overseas aid by the UK are set to go further and faster than those made by the Trump administration in the US, as Sir Keir Starmer’s government wrestles with funding pressures
www.ft.com/content/ad52...
These tariffs were absolutely vast in scope, covering many downstream products made with steel and aluminum. It will be very interesting to see if this materializes and what the rollback looks like.
www.ft.com/content/f2ef...
GOP senators affirm USMCA ag benefits in face of Trump’s indifference
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/242...
Businesses are betting big on Brazil increasing its soybean exports, with planned port and rail upgrades focused on facilitating international sales. 4/4
Read more: www.agri-pulse.com/articles/241...
Mato Grosso still clearly has plenty of additional corn and soybean acres to add in the coming years, even without converting any forest land to agriculture. There is plenty of pasture that can be converted as cattle is moved onto feedlots or are integrated with eucalyptus crops. 3/4
Dried distillers' grains, sorghum & soybean meal are set to become intense new competitive fronts as Brazil ramps up its corn ethanol & biodiesel production to meet new blending mandates. The other side of this is that competition in corn markets could ease temporarily as more stays in-country. 2/4
Back in the US after more than a week reporting from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime reporting experience. Some thoughts on the future of U.S.-Brazilian ag competition based on what I saw and conversations I had:
1/4
A note on Trump suggesting China is weighing another 8 million tons of soybean buys this season: Brazil’s soybean harvest is now well underway & their beans have a discount in the Chinese market.
(I took these photos on a soybean farm in Brazil’s Mato Grosso yesterday!)
Peanut Butter Is American Marmite
It’s a far cry from the ice age of U.K.-China relations that characterized Rishi Sunak’s leadership — and it’s not exactly David Cameron’s “golden era,” either.
www.politico.eu/article/keir...
USDA eyes more than 200,000 tons of Food for Peace purchases by March
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/241...
Officials ready bird flu vaccine framework amid thawing global attitudes
www.agri-pulse.com/articles/240...
