WASHINGTON – Ambassador Jamieson Greer and Secretary Brooke Rollins published an op-ed in The Hill laying out the Trump Administration’s two-fold approach to create a level playing field for American farmers, ranchers, and food producers.
The full text of the op-ed is below:
When we meet with farmers and ranchers across America, they tell us they are worried about whether they will make it through another season. Cotton growers in Texas, sorghum farmers in Kansas, pulse producers in Montana, lamb producers in Utah — we’ve looked them in the eye and heard their earnest pleas for help. 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.
Our farmers and ranchers work harder than anyone in the world and produce record-high yields, so prosperity shouldn’t be out of reach. However, for four years Joe Biden signed no new trade deals, and American agriculture lost significant market access around the world as a result. But the problem didn’t start with Biden — he merely accelerated it. For decades, American farmers and ranchers were forced to bow at the altar of foreign tariff regimes that shut them out of markets and stacked the deck against U.S. agriculture.
Given these conditions, President Trump’s America First trade policy could not have come at a better time.
President Trump has made it clear that America’s farmers will no longer be treated as second-class suppliers. And we are bringing that message around the world, from Mexico City to London, and beyond. The Trump administration has developed a two-fold approach to addressing the barriers to U.S. food and agricultural exports and making sure that U.S. farmers, ranchers and food producers have a fair and level playing field when they export products around the world.
First, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative is negotiating trade deals with willing partners all over the world to advance fair and reciprocal trade. The leverage provided by Trump’s tariffs has been a wake-up call for trading partners. Partners can no longer take for granted their access to the U.S. market. Instead, they need to commit to treating American farmers and ranchers fairly, removing unfair non-tariff barriers, and reducing tariffs on American goods in order to maintain access to our market.
We have signed eight agreements on reciprocal trade so far, and are moving ahead to sign more deals in 2026.
The agreements completed to date are leveling the playing field for U.S. food and agricultural exports. The Malaysia and Cambodia deals have opened markets for a range of U.S. agricultural goods, including beef and pork products, poultry and rice. The deal with the U.K. created opportunities for U.S. beef and $700 million in ethanol exports.
In just the first month of this year, we racked up additional major victories in Central America.
On Jan. 29, El Salvador signed an agreement and also announced it would eliminate unnecessary fumigation and certificate requirements for U.S. grains, recognize American seafood export certificates, and accept U.S. food safety testing for meat.
One day later, Guatemala built on its long-standing trade relationship with the U.S. and our shared interest in reinforcing regional supply chains by signing an agreement on reciprocal trade. This historic agreement will establish a long-term market for U.S. ethanol, as Guatemala committed to purchase at least 50 million gallons annually while adopting science and risk-based import standards and regulatory practices that prevent future non-tariff barriers.
In February, the Argentina agreement was signed, followed by Bangladesh. Argentina will provide duty-free market access for a wide range of U.S. agricultural products, including beef, dairy products, wine, beer and whiskey, tree nuts, and processed food products. In addition to removing a range of tariff and non-tariff barriers, Bangladesh signed purchase commitments for U.S. soybeans, soy meal and wheat, valued at over $2 billion.
Earlier this month, the U.S. signed an agreement with Taiwan which includes preferential market access and the elimination or reduction of tariffs on nearly all U.S. agricultural products. In each of these reciprocal trade agreements, the U.S. secured groundbreaking commitments from its partners to preserve current and future U.S. market access for U.S. cheese and meat producers who rely on the use of common names.
These are just a few of the tangible wins that will translate directly into American jobs, income, and opportunities for American farmers.
Once the agreements are signed at the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, this is just the beginning.
The Department of Agriculture then moves to the second part of our work — promoting U.S. agricultural exports around the globe. Last year, the department awarded more than $250 million in market promotion through programs like Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program, recognizing the role U.S. industry plays in selling our products overseas.
The Department of Agriculture has also hosted 10 trade missions — seven agribusiness trade missions and three Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers missions, which are laser-focused, rapid response missions targeting markets where Trump and his trade team at the Office of U.S. Trade Representative have negotiated new access.
The Department of Agriculture has hosted trade missions to Malaysia, Indonesia and many other markets. And we are adding more as the Office of U.S. Trade Representative finalizes agreements with countries across the globe, opening up export markets for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and food processors as many longstanding barriers to trade are removed.
The Department of Agriculture is working to put buyers and sellers in the same room to hammer out new purchases of U.S. agricultural products, as the Office of U.S. Trade Representative is sparking billions of dollars of new export opportunities for U.S. producers.
Together we are working nonstop to put our producers back at the center of not just the American economy, but the global economy — right where they belong.
Trade is not abstract policy for America’s farmers. It is the difference between surplus and struggle, between stability and uncertainty.
Our country produces the best food, fuel, and fiber in the world, and buyers everywhere are taking notice. President Trump is committed to putting Farmers First by opening new markets, rebuilding rural prosperity, and ensuring that when American producers compete, they win.
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