Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) led twenty Members of Congress in a letter to President Donald Trump encouraging him to negotiate new trade agreements that boost American agricultural exports as part of his America First Trade Policy and Fair and Reciprocal Plan executive orders. The letter commends the President for trade agreements he negotiated during his first term that secured market access for American farmers and ranchers and highlights the various unbalanced trade barriers imposed by other countries that still restrict U.S. agricultural exports.

Arrington was joined by Reps. August Pfluger (TX-11), Ron Estes (KS-4), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Craig Goldman (TX-12), Tracey Mann (KS-1), Don Bacon (NE-2), Mark Messmer (IN-8), Keith Self (TX-3), Austin Scott (TX-8), Randy Feenstra (IA-4), Jake Ellzey (TX-6), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Brad Finstad (MN-1), Mark Alford (MO-4), Mike Bost (IL-12), Ashley Hinson (IA-2), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), and Mary Miller (IL-15).

“Rural America is experiencing challenging economic times,” the letter reads, in part. “Agricultural exports have not kept pace with imports since 2022, resulting in the U.S. agricultural trade deficit reaching $32 billion for FY2024 — the highest ever recorded. The steep and nonreciprocal barriers imposed by foreign nations suppress demand for American products, harming our farmers. Your leadership, decisive action, and negotiating skills will be key to reaching enforceable deals that open export markets and reverse this trend.”

Click HERE to read the full letter.

“Texas Farm Bureau thanks Congressman Jodey Arrington for facilitating a letter stressing the importance of trade to farmers and ranchers,” said Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening. “Providing more opportunities to market our agricultural products to other countries and breaking down existing trade barriers add value to the crops and livestock our farmers and ranchers produce. We look forward to our continued work with Congress and the Administration to expand and create more trade deals.” 

“Given the current challenges facing rural America, we must ensure that the U.S. cotton industry has access to as many markets as possible – both at home and abroad,” said National Cotton Council President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Adams. “The National Cotton Council appreciates Congressman Arrington’s advocacy on this issue and looks forward to working with the Trump administration on increasing export opportunities for cotton and cotton manufactured products.”

"Corn growers are facing high input costs and lower corn prices," said Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. "We appreciate President Trump’s commitment to removing trade barriers and opening new markets that will increase the demand for corn. And we thank Congressman Arrington for prioritizing the needs of agriculture and rural communities to help combat the economic headwinds facing farmers today." 

“U.S. cattle producers benefit from foreign market access and the elimination of trade barriers. We produce some of the safest, highest quality beef in the world, but some trade partners unfairly target U.S. beef with high tariffs and arbitrary non-scientific barriers,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein. “For the past few years, the U.S. has done little to resolve these issues, while approving beef imports from other countries like Brazil and Paraguay. We need the U.S. government to hold our trade partners accountable and re-engage in opening markets for U.S. beef exports. We know that when we obtain access to new markets, our exports soar due to strong consumer demand for our beef. We look forward to working with President Trump and Congress to secure trade policies that deliver lasting results for America’s farmers and ranchers.”

“American sorghum producers rely on international trade and benefit significantly from foreign market access,” said National Sorghum Producers CEO Tim Lust. “Unfortunately, many nations around the world impose high barriers to trade that unfairly restrict exports of American sorghum. It is essential to remove these barriers, and we thank Chairman Arrington for highlighting the importance of increasing the demand for American sorghum on a global scale.”

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