Trump’s policies are squeezing American farmers from every direction. New tariffs sparked retaliation from China and Canada, cutting off key export markets—especially for soybeans—and pushing prices and farm income down while equipment costs rise. At the same time, the administration floated aid to Argentina as it ramps up competing farm exports, further undercutting U.S. producers. Hardline immigration raids against law-abiding workers and threats of mass deportations are scaring off the farmworkers who harvest crops and staff meat plants, leaving fields unpicked and raising food prices. USDA rollbacks and budget cuts—like freezing climate-smart payments, pulling fairness rules, and shrinking conservation and technical support—strip farmers of tools to manage risk and fight unfair practices.
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¶ Broad tariff policy and retaliation are choking farm revenues and export markets
- China suspended import licenses for multiple U.S. soybean firms and slapped new levies on roughly $21 billion of U.S. farm goods after Trump’s tariff moves, directly curbing farm sales. (agriculture.com)
- By October 3, 2025, U.S. soybean farmers had lost their largest buyer as China shifted to South America, with reported losses up to $64 per acre and depressed prices. (reuters.com)
- Soybean futures fell on Chinese retaliation to Trump’s new tariffs, tightening margins for producers. (investing.com)
- Canada imposed 25% retaliatory tariffs that include $5.5 billion of U.S. agricultural products, hitting a top export market for American farmers. (fas.usda.gov)
- The administration’s sweeping 25% metals tariffs—later doubled to 50%—raise input costs for U.S. manufacturers and the equipment farmers depend on. (cnbc.com)
- Equipment makers warn these tariffs are a tax that lift domestic manufacturing costs by as much as 7%, costs that flow through to farmers buying machinery and parts. (newsroom.aem.org)
¶ Trump and republicans are bailing out Argentina while they undercut U.S. farmers
- The administration floated a multi-billion support package/credit line for Argentina—pitched as a geopolitical move—even as Argentina expands ag exports that directly compete with U.S. producers. (Politico)
- After Buenos Aires suspended grain export taxes, Chinese buyers snapped up 10–20 cargoes of Argentine soybeans, deepening the hole for U.S. growers already shut out of China. (Reuters)
- Farm-state Republicans and ag groups blasted the bailout idea as aiding a competitor while U.S. soybean sales to China crater—some noting China hasn’t bought U.S. beans this year. (Newsweek)
- At the same time, U.S. beef imports remain elevated, with shipments from Argentina adding pressure on domestic cattle producers. (S&P Global)
¶ Federal enforcement against law-abiding workers is destabilizing the farm labor force, causing losses and higher costs
- ICE raids in California’s produce regions left crops unharvested as workers fled worksites, threatening farm viability and pushing up consumer prices. (reuters.com)
- USDA’s secretary publicly ruled out any leniency for undocumented farmworkers despite agriculture’s heavy reliance on them, heightening labor risk for producers and prices on consumers. (reuters.com)
- The American Farm Bureau warns that without farmworkers, produce will go unpicked and grocery prices will rise for all families. (fb.org)
- An ICE raid gutted staffing at a Nebraska meat plant, slashing production and stoking concerns about downstream demand for livestock. (reuters.com)
- Analysts and farm groups caution that mass deportations would severely disrupt agricultural production and drive food inflation. (forbes.com)
¶ Administrative rollbacks and cuts are stripping farmers of support, leverage, and risk management
- USDA canceled the Partnerships for Climate‑Smart Commodities and sought to reorient funds, disrupting awards and payments producers expected. (usda.gov)
- A federal judge then ordered USDA and other agencies to release frozen Inflation Reduction Act funds, confirming that key farmer supports had been halted. (dtnpf.com)
- The administration’s budget plan slashes Conservation Technical Assistance and would cut NRCS staffing by nearly a third, reducing on‑farm technical help to lower costs and manage risks. (dtnpf.com)
- USDA withdrew the “Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets” rule; farmer advocates warned the pullback leaves growers with fewer tools to challenge unfair packer practices. (federalregister.gov)
- USDA moved to terminate union contracts for FSIS and APHIS staff, adding instability at agencies that producers rely on for inspections and animal health safeguards. (reuters.com)