Policy Updates
Pro Farmer’s latest updates on agricultural policy news, legislative updates, and regulatory enforcement impacting U.S. farmers and agribusinesses.
Amid recent trade activity, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signaled this week that major export commitments are changing the calculus for potential domestic farmer assistance.
China has purchased at least 14 cargoes of U.S. soybeans for shipment in December and January—around 840,000 metric tons—marking its largest single buying round of U.S. beans since at least January.
EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers unveiled a revised rule on Monday aimed at clearer permitting and fewer regulatory surprises, such as narrowing which water features fall under federal oversight and confirming exclusions.
New USDA export data show that China has bought only a small fraction of the U.S. soybeans it pledged after last month’s meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
Late last night, President Trump signed a congressional funding measure after the House voted to approve it 222-209, ending the record long federal government shutdown.
Just two weeks after the announced trade truce between China and the United States, Chinese purchases of American soybeans have unexpectedly stagnated, and traders now say they see no new orders coming in.
The USDA is fighting court orders to distribute full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November despite the looming reopening of the federal government.
Passed by the Senate last night, a new stopgap spending bill to fund the government through January 30 includes a one-year extension of key Farm Bill programs.
Trump administration officials are standing firm after a tense Supreme Court oral argument this week cast doubt on the legality of the president’s sweeping tariff authority.
During oral arguments yesterday, multiple justices challenged the argument that the president may impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977.
China has confirmed that beginning November 10, it will suspend retaliatory tariffs but will retain the 10% levy and 13% tariff on U.S. soybeans.
The USDA has announced it will use its contingency fund to cover November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but only at a reduced level.
The USDA has confirmed that it will publish a long-awaited crop supply and demand report on November 14 — despite the ongoing federal government shutdown that halted the regular October release.
Federal judges in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled today that the USDA must use its available contingency-fund reserves to continue providing SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Farmers and ranchers already dealing with tight margins may soon face another financial hit: a steep jump in health insurance premiums. The expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that have kept many farm families’ monthly costs manageable are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress extends them.
China’s state-owned grain trader COFCO has bought three cargoes of U.S. soybeans—roughly 180,000 metric tons—for delivery between December and January, marking the first major Chinese purchase from this year’s U.S. harvest.
Yesterday, the U.S. fertilizer lobby released a statement urging federal leaders to prioritize and accelerate the growth of domestic fertilizer production, which could stabilize input costs for farmers.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. and China have reached agreement on the “substantial framework” of a trade deal that includes major agricultural purchases by China, but did not provide detailed numbers.
Trump announced yesterday that the United States is ending trade negotiations with Canada after the province of Ontario aired an advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan’s voice and remarks critical of tariffs.
Yesterday, President Donald Trump publicly told U.S. cattle producers that they’ve been doing well thanks to tariffs on imported beef and that now the administration is floating increasing imports of beef from Argentina as a tool to bring down domestic beef costs.