Trade

Free trade dogma suggests that more imports benefit consumers by affording them more choices and lower prices. Let’s see if this holds true in the U.S. beef market.

The Trump administration may grant U.S. agriculture special exemptions from parts of its ever-changing tariff regime, but it can’t exempt it from everyday economic reality.

A unexpected reduction in corn ending stocks was among the few surprises in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April supply and demand estimates report.

The animals are smelling green grass and are tired of eating their winter vittles. The rye looks great, but the cool temps have slowed its growth enough that I have decided to delay the usual turnout a few days.

Farmers were less optimistic about the agriculture economy in March due to trade and farm policy concerns, according to the latest reading of the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

The current political news brings concerning thoughts about the economic future of farming as we are faced with higher interest rates, lower grain prices and import markets at risk due to trade wars and tariffs.

R-CALF USA is aggressively pursuing tariffs for cattle, sheep, beef and lamb. And it seems we’re the only national livestock association that is doing so.

The futures market is reacting as expected with all this tariff news creating plenty of uncertainty which usually trends lower as most players look to eliminate risk.

We have faced several consecutive days over a six-state area where there have been multiple tornados causing damage, a lot of rain, lightning, hail and serious flooding and washouts of roads and bridges.

Plant-based and lab-grown protein products enjoyed a moment in the sun several years ago, but it didn’t take long for the free market to kick in and push these companies down a very steep decline.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the estimated acres for corn and soybeans to be planted. The report indicates a substantial reduction in intended soybean plantings for 2025.

Prospective planting and quarterly grain stock numbers released March 31 were at or near expectations and primarily already priced into the market.

The major car companies say sales rose sharply in March, with most reporting double-digit gains. For some companies, the strong performance last month helped make up for a sluggish start to the year.

President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz has sent shock waves throughout every aspect of the global economy, including the auto sector, where multibillion-dollar plans to electrify in the United States are especially at risk.

Agricultural economic conditions remained relatively weak across the Corn Belt, driven by concerns over drought conditions, trade, balance sheets and the lack of farm bill clarity.

Tight supplies of cattle and resilient demand for beef are expected to support fed steer prices this year, according to projections at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

There have been 985 confirmed cases of avian influenza in dairy cattle across 17 states since first confirmed in March 2024.

Hog prices are projected to increase as strong domestic and export demand is expected to carry over from 2024.

Indiana’s agriculture organizations teamed up to bring the farm to Indianapolis on National Agriculture Day.

Whatever the United States gains from President Donald Trump’s 25% tax on imported cars — and experts are skeptical — automakers around the world are bracing for a lot of pain.

Shares of major automakers slumped following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will place 25% tariffs on auto imports.

President Donald Trump’s 25% tax on imported cars, light trucks and auto parts is likely to drive up prices at a time when many Americans already struggle to afford a new set of wheels.

In the seven weeks that global markets and U.S. farmers have been living in the uncertain trade world of the Trump administration, prices for most American ag exports have headed south faster than a Canada goose in late October.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report opened with a note due to the current fluidity of trade and tariff policies.

The U.S. sheep industry reveals what happens when our nation ignores market failure for too long, and it’s a case study applicable to every livestock sector in America.

If it’s Tuesday, the White House’s long-promised tariffs against Canada and Mexico are on again, but if it’s Thursday, they — well, many that its Big Biz backers don’t want — are off again. No, wait.

There were no changes in the U.S. corn and soybean balance sheets for the second straight month, despite expectations for higher corn exports and lower domestic soybean use.

R-CALF USA welcomes the 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican beef and cattle — and we want more.

Uncertainty in both commodity prices and input prices is making farmers’ already tough job even more difficult.

From issues impacting the farm economy, including record costs for labor, interest and taxes, to trade and biofuels, there a lot of challenges facing farmers today. But there also are opportunities, said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.

Crop production baseline forecasts for the 2025-2026 marketing year balance sheets were unveiled at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

The pressure in the ag economy is real — and farmers are feeling it, said Natasha Cox, senior vice president of Farm Credit Mid-America.

An important lesson I’ve learned over the years is that success is built on the foundation of strong relationships. We are stronger when we work together, building trust, exploring new opportunities and navigating challenges.

What happens globally can impact the profitability of U.S. farmers.

With egg prices soaring, the Trump administration is planning a new strategy for fighting bird flu that stresses vaccinations and tighter biosecurity instead of killing off millions of chickens when the disease strikes a flock.

President Donald Trump temporarily suspended across-the-board 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada until April 2.

As the trade deficit and farm production costs continue to rise, the state of the agricultural economy is “dire,” lamented new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

It is a new day for agriculture, said Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

U.S. farmers are projected to shift acreage to corn this spring as corn prices maintain an impressive run while prices for competing crops struggle to keep pace.

One of the first marketing lessons offered to me, a wet-behind-the-ears ag editor, by a steely and successful ag futures trader was as simple and useful as a feed bucket.

Farmers were more optimistic about the ag economy in February, according to the latest reading of the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

The notion of tariffs dates back to the first major law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1789 and has evolved over time.

The long-term downward spiral in the number of U.S. cattle farms and ranches informs us that our industry is in a severe crisis.

The CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, shared expert market and weather analysis.

Tariffs will not curtail imports, but they will help to rebalance trade by leveling the economic playing field between domestic cattle producers and producers from countries who enjoy less stringent production standards and lower currency valuations.

America’s farmers and ranchers are no strangers to uncertainty, but the challenges they face today call for immediate attention and decisive leadership.

Just a couple weeks ago at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Antonio, Texas, I reminded Farm Bureau members that it’s going to take all of us stepping up in 2025 to drive agriculture forward.

When you push markets one way with tariffs, you should expect an equal and opposite reaction from those same markets.

The trade’s focus continues to be on U.S. exports and South American weather as the market continues to wade through winter.

The Mexican government repealed its ban on biotech corn imports from the United States.