WAUKEE, Iowa (DTN) -- Trade was top of mind during a trip U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins took across the state of Iowa on Monday. The middle stop on her tour was at a working crop and hog farm owned by the Manning family in central Iowa, near Waukee.
Her visit across the state started at an ethanol plant, continued to a working farm and a hybrid seed corn company prior to giving a keynote address at the Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner in Ankeny.
She passed on words throughout the day from President Donald Trump with a message of his support for U.S. farmers and ranchers and a promise of prosperity.
"Our ag community, our ag industry has seen some tough years," she said. "When I left the first Trump administration at the end of 2020, the beginning of 2021, we had a zero-dollar trade deficit. After four years of the last president, that's a $49 billion trade deficit in just agricultural products. But these issues go back a lot further than the last four years."
According to the U.S. Economic Research Service, the U.S. had nearly 60 years of agricultural trade surpluses, a streak that ended in fiscal years 2019 and 2020. Trade returned to surpluses in 2021 and 2022, followed by deficit years in 2023 and 2024. ERS notes recent deficits have been due to many factors, including growing U.S. demand for high-value products such as fruits, vegetables, alcoholic beverages and unique grains. Price fluctuations of U.S. grains, a large part of U.S. exports, also influences the dollar values of the trade balance.
Trade balance numbers also are influenced by whether numbers are based on fiscal years or calendar years.
The agricultural trade surplus/deficit, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service, was $2.9 billion surplus in calendar-year 2020. There was an agricultural trade deficit of $38.2 billion in 2024.
TARIFFS ARE TOP OF MIND
The tariff renegotiations were happening while Rollins traveled across Iowa. She ensured that farmers and ranchers were being represented as she took phone calls in between stops.
"It is all to be determined, and a big announcement is expected April 2 with the president's announcements on his trade decisions," she said. She insisted the president is using the tariffs as a tool to help realign the American economy.
She told those at the Manning Farm that President Trump is a dealmaker who has believed that America and American goods often get the raw end of the deal on the world stage.
"Prime example No. 1 is with Canada and their 250% tariff on our dairy products," Rollins said. "There is example after example after example all over the world on how our products are tariffed at a very high rate. Sometimes 50, 100, 150, 200% higher, and then we don't do the same thing. The ultimate vision is to get to fair trade, maybe even free trade. Until we get there, the president believes strongly, and I support that, we have to make some significant changes."
Canada is the No. 2 market for U.S. dairy products, behind only Mexico. Dairy farmers exported $1.14 billion in products to Canada in 2024, nearly double the value from 2020. An array of products come in under lower tariff-rate quotas. The top tariff rate Rollins and others in the Trump administration have quoted recently applies only if U.S. dairy exports vastly exceed the amounts set by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Those rates were negotiated by President Trump in his first term.
Rollins continued to stress that many in Washington, D.C., work through how to make trade happen on U.S. products and make it a positive for the farmers and ranchers. Opening trade to new markets is an important focus for Rollins' USDA.
LIVESTOCK, POULTRY TO GET HELP DESPITE CUTS
Rollins discussed recent funding cuts made to programs and research. She admitted funding cuts to programs protecting U.S. livestock and farmers from diseases and viruses such as New World screwworm and highly pathogenic avian influenza need to be preserved and expanded.
"As part of our avian influenza plan, our egg price plan, the USDA has put another $100 million into figuring out why this is happening, why we haven't been able to get it under control and why it's jumping to the dairy cattle," she said. "It is about realigning the government. It is about reduction in force, but it's also about ensuring that we have funds to actually focus on what's really important like protecting our livestock producers."
A plan has been set forward for poultry producers to help increase biosecurity in hopes of ridding the industry of avian influenza threats. This plan provides up to $400 million in indemnity funding to aid and accelerate repopulation and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens that the chicken and egg industry face to further innovate and reduce consumer prices.
Biosecurity measures and training have long been a part of the poultry industry's avian influenza protections, though those efforts are difficult due to disease transmission by wild birds.
AGRICULTURE ISSUES ARE NONPARTISAN
"There are issues like agriculture that are not partisan," Rollins said. "Growing a very strong field of corn and making sure you can sell that corn is not Republican or Democrat or left or right. That's just America."
Working with Democrats and Republicans to ensure all farmers have what they need is important to Rollins.
She said she wants all in agriculture to know the federal government wants to learn from farmers and ranchers and should listen to what they need to be able to operate.
"We offer a listening ear and a helping hand to our farmers in Iowa and across the country," Rollins added. "We don't do that out of obligation, but we do that with deep admiration for all of you who till the land, who feed and raise the animals, and who make sure that we are feeding and fueling and clothing our world."
For more on agriculture trade, see "Ag Groups Fear Trade Losses" by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….
Also see "Rollins Touts Biofuel Policies to Boost Corn Demand as USDA Preps for Trade War" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….
See "USDA Allows Faster Processing Speeds" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….
And see "Ag Secretary Unveils New Bird Flu Plan" here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….
Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com
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