US soy farmers appreciate tariff reprieve, hopeful for nontariff solutions to continue market access

U.S. soybean farmers are appreciative of the Trump administration’s announcement March 6 temporarily suspending tariffs on Canada and Mexico, said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.

“Cross-border trade between our three nations is vital for the continued success of U.S. agriculture, and we appreciate the president’s work to protect our sector,” Ragland said.

“We were particularly heartened to see a drop in duties for imports of Canadian potash, on which our farmers rely,” he added.

International trade is a critical pillar of U.S. agriculture, and soybeans are the country’s largest exported commodity.

Over 50 percent of the domestic soybean crop is destined for customers around the world, so market access—both expansion and maintenance—is a top priority for ASA.

“We encourage the administration to immediately engage with its counterparts in China to pursue a continuation of the Phase One trade agreement negotiated by President Trump and signed in 2020,” Ragland said.

Ragland added that the Phase One agreement brought much-needed tariff relief for farmers while addressing issues pertaining to market access, intellectual-property protections and other issues important to U.S. agriculture and our country at large.

“Instead of a tit-for-tat trade war, U.S. soybean farmers support engaged negotiations by the Trump administration to bring about commitments to expand market access in China and protect farmers from retaliation,” he said.

“This is especially critical considering the current challenging farm economy,” Ragland noted.