Author: staff

President Donald Trump said Thursday evening that Canada will face higher duties for some products beginning next month due to the Canadian government’s decision to retaliate against U.S. duties applied earlier this year. He also took the opportunity to reiterate his call for greater market access for U.S. dairy producers. In March, Trump imposed 25% duties on Canadian exports not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — reduced to 10% for energy products and potash. Canada responded by hiking duties on some $22 billion in U.S. exports, including orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, and coffee. The Canadian government…

The Trump administration has postponed implementation of a new round of tariffs until Aug. 1, following an executive order issued this week by President Donald Trump aimed at giving trade negotiations more time to wrap up. The reciprocal tariffs — initially announced in April — had been on a 90-day delay set to expire July 9. With the new deadline in place, the White House sent formal notification letters to 14 countries, informing them that the revised tariff rates will go into effect at the beginning of August, whether or not deals are reached. While most countries saw only minor…

In the days after signing an executive order delaying the implementation of reciprocal tariffs until Aug. 1 and sending 14 letters to countries warning them of new tariff rates, President Donald Trump has continued to release letters informing countries of new tariffs. On the platform Truth Social, Trump released letters sent to seven more U.S. trade partners on Wednesday.  Wednesday evening, Trump announced a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil. Thursday evening, Trump threatened 35% duties on imports from Canada that fall outside the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Markets were lower in the wake of increased tariff uncertainty early in the…

Today, USDA released the July 2025 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. 2025/2026 U.S. Ending Stocks In the report, USDA pegged 2025/2026 corn and wheat ending stocks lower month-over-month and lower than the average trade expectation while soybean ending stocks were increased month-over-month more than the average expecation. 2024/2025 U.S. Ending Stocks For 2024/2025, USDA pegged corn ending stocks a bit lower than the average trade expectation. For soybeans, ending stocks were unchanged when the average trade expectation was for an increase. Wheat ending stocks were increased a bit more than the average expectation. 2025/2026 Global Ending Stocks…

DAILY Bites A shrinking U.S. labor force driven by declining birth rates, lower immigration, and rising retirements is creating serious labor shortages, especially in rural areas. Economic pressure is mounting in agriculture, housing, and manufacturing, with rising home costs, weakening crop exports, and policy uncertainty straining rural development. Animal protein and dairy sectors remain strong amid tight supplies and high global demand, while sectors like cotton, rice, and sugar face cost, weather, and global market headwinds. DAILY Discussion Declining labor force participation, lower birth rates, and a collapse in net migration are combining to squeeze the U.S. labor supply. The…

After 9 a.m. CT, December corn was down 1½¢ at $4.15 per bushel. November soybeans were down 5¾¢ at $10.08 per bushel. “Light pressure is being seen in the market [Friday] morning in low volume trade. Most activity is final positioning ahead of the WASDE report,” said Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting. “No major changes are forecast to balance sheets, with most interest on corn numbers.” He added: “Unless we see a major surprise in the data, soon after its release, we will be back to weather and crop reports for price discovery. Current weather is mostly favorable…

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report showed a mixed landscape across the country as of July 8. Heavy rainfall helped shrink drought coverage and intensity across large parts of the High Plains and Midwest, continuing a gradual recovery trend seen since spring. Much of the Corn Belt remains drought-free, though pockets of dryness are beginning to creep back. Meanwhile, drought worsened and spread in the Pacific Northwest, and long-term drought persists stubbornly in south-central Texas. For producers in the nation’s central regions, summer storms brought welcome relief — but not everywhere benefited equally. Map of the U.S. showing drought levels…

By Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK, July 9 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday sued California over its regulation of eggs and chicken farms, saying that the state’s anti-animal cruelty laws created “unnecessary red tape” that had raised egg prices throughout the U.S. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, argues that the federal Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970 preempts state laws related to eggs. The federal law authorizes the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to regulate eggs in order to protect consumers’ health and welfare, and it also requires “national uniformity” in egg safety standards,…

1. Wheat Surges on Dry Weather in Canada Wheat futures jumped in overnight trading on concerns about adverse weather in the Canadian Prairies and on some technical buying amid lower prices in the past week.  Little precipitation is forecast for the Canadian Prairies, where wheat and canola are growing, from tomorrow through at least Sunday, said Don Keeney, an agricultural meteorologist with Maxar.  “Limited rain through the weekend will allow moisture shortages and stress to build further on spring wheat,” the forecaster said in a note to clients.  Rain in the U.S. northern Plains will improve crop prospects for spring…

By Christian Valencia and Nick Paulson The H-2A program allows eligible employers in the U.S. an avenue to request and hire foreign workers to fill temporary agricultural jobs. Applicants must be certified and demonstrate a lack of willing, qualified, and available U.S. workers to fill the temporary roles and that the wages and working conditions available to similarly employed U.S. workers will not be adversely affected (USCIS, 2025). The program plays a critical role in addressing seasonal and temporary labor needs in U.S. agriculture. In 2024, more than 380,000 workers were authorized under this program — a 300% increase from…