The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released a new agricultural policy brief at the Midwest Agricultural Export Summit in South Dakota. The document, titled “Driving Rural Prosperity by Reducing the U.S. Agricultural Trade Deficit,” was prepared by Kip Tom, Vice Chair of Rural Policy, and Tate Bennett, Director of Rural Policy.
The brief addresses concerns about the ongoing agricultural trade deficit in the United States and highlights how recent trade policies have affected farmers and ranchers. Kip Tom stated, “Ensuring and expanding global market access for our farmers and ranchers and addressing the unfair trade practices and barriers to our best-in-class agricultural products and production practices has never been more important. This brief shows how.”
According to AFPI’s research, farming—one of the nation’s main professions—has faced persistent trade deficits after decades of mostly surpluses. The organization notes that farm income depends on stable global market prices. Projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate that without policy changes or consideration for current reciprocal tariffs, the U.S. agricultural trade deficit could reach $50 billion in 2025.
To address these issues, AFPI recommends five actions: implementing tariff policies to reduce trade barriers; opening new markets through partnerships; enforcing existing trade agreements; monitoring unfair international practices; and increasing domestic consumption of American agricultural products.
Recent achievements by the current administration include several major trade deals with countries such as the United Kingdom, European Union, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam. AFPI states its recommendations are intended to build on this progress by prioritizing farmers’ interests in future negotiations.
The Farmers First Agenda from AFPI aims to protect U.S. farmers and ranchers while supporting rural communities.
