The Midwest and South continue to produce huge soybean volumes, yet their ability to sell them increasingly hinges on global politics and federal action rather than farm decisions.
After raising tariffs as high as 145% earlier this year, the U.S. and China have paused further escalation until November. Still, American farm exports dropped from June 2024 to June 2025.
Despite new tariffs and ongoing trade negotiations, US beef imports from Brazil hit a record 197 million pounds in January 2025, up from 7 million in January 2020. JBS, the world’s largest meat company, helped power the surge as the US herd shrank.
