Washington, March 3 (IANS) The United States’ top trade and agriculture officials have declared that American farm exports are “back on top,” saying eight new reciprocal trade agreements and an aggressive export push are restoring market access and putting U.S. farmers at the centre of the global economy.
In an op-ed in The Hill, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said “U.S. agriculture is back on top, and the world is buying,” outlining what they described as a two-fold strategy under President Donald Trump.
“When we meet with farmers and ranchers across America, they tell us they are worried about whether they will make it through another season,” they wrote. “For many, the four years under the Biden administration were crushing, and they are still struggling to plant seed, finance their operations, and hold onto their land.”
They argued that “for four years Joe Biden signed no new trade deals, and American agriculture lost significant market access around the world as a result,” adding that “President Trump’s America First trade policy could not have come at a better time.”
According to the op-ed, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has “signed eight agreements on reciprocal trade so far, and is moving ahead to sign more deals in 2026.” The leverage provided by tariffs, they wrote, has been “a wake-up call for trading partners,” who “need to commit to treating American farmers and ranchers fairly.”
The completed agreements include deals with Malaysia and Cambodia that “have opened markets for a range of U.S. agricultural goods, including beef and pork products, poultry and rice.” A separate agreement with the United Kingdom “created opportunities for U.S. beef and $700 million in ethanol exports.”
In Central America, El Salvador signed an agreement and announced it would “eliminate unnecessary fumigation and certificate requirements for U.S. grains,” while Guatemala committed to purchase “at least 50 million gallons annually” of U.S. ethanol under a reciprocal trade pact.
In February, Argentina and Bangladesh signed agreements. Argentina will provide “duty-free market access for a wide range of U.S. agricultural products,” while Bangladesh made purchase commitments for U.S. soybeans, soy meal, and wheat valued at over $2 billion.”
An agreement with Taiwan includes “preferential market access and the elimination or reduction of tariffs on nearly all U.S. agricultural products,” along with commitments to preserve U.S. market access for cheese and meat producers who rely on common product names.
The Department of Agriculture is backing the trade push with export promotion. Last year, it awarded “more than $250 million in market promotion” and hosted 10 trade missions, including “seven agribusiness trade missions and three Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers missions.”
“Trade is not an abstract policy for America’s farmers. It is the difference between surplus and struggle, between stability and uncertainty,” the officials wrote, adding that “President Trump is committed to putting Farmers First by opening new markets, rebuilding rural prosperity, and ensuring that when American producers compete, they win.”
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of U.S. trade policy, with farm exports playing a critical role in overall goods trade. The United States is one of the world’s largest exporters of corn, soybeans, wheat, meat, and ethanol, and access to foreign markets has a direct bearing on farm incomes and rural employment.
–IANS
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