Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, one of the most vocal advocates for American agriculture, criticized the Trump administration Thursday for policies he said give foreign competitors an edge while U.S. soybean farmers struggle under the weight of trade tensions with China.
Argentina, a top global soybean producer, recently suspended its 26 percent export tax on the crop, a move that immediately spurred Chinese buyers to purchase more than 1 million tons of Argentinian soybeans, according to Reuters.
For Grassley, the deal represented a direct hit to American farmers, who have long depended on China as their largest overseas market.
“Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market???” Grassley wrote in a pointed post on the social platform X.
The Iowa Republican, whose state is among the nation’s leading soybean exporters, argued that the administration should be using America’s leverage to protect family farms rather than offering concessions to foreign competitors. “We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy,” he said. “Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA.”
Until recently, the United States had been the dominant supplier of soybeans to China, with more than half of American exports going to Beijing last year.
That dominance has eroded as China turned elsewhere in response to Washington’s escalating trade war. The 20 percent tariff imposed by Beijing on all U.S. imports has devastated sales, leading to steep losses in one of agriculture’s most profitable sectors.
According to data cited by The New York Times, China has bought 51 percent fewer soybeans from the United States during the first half of the year.
Overall, soybean exports are down 23 percent this year. For farmers in states like Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, the decline has been punishing.
President Trump, addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, sought to reassure farmers that relief was on the way. He said he was prepared to redirect some tariff revenue to offset the losses suffered in farm country. “We’re going to take some of that tariff money that we made, we’re going to give it to our farmers, who are for a little while going to be hurt until it kicks in, the tariffs kick in, to their benefit,” the president said.
“So we’re going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape because we’re taking in a lot of money,” he added.
The administration has faced pressure from Congress and farm-state governors to blunt the impact of China’s tariffs, which were aimed squarely at Trump’s political base. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday that a new aid package was being prepared to help farmers weather the downturn not just in soybeans but across other key crops.
For Grassley, however, the broader concern remains whether Washington will continue to prioritize American farmers in trade negotiations. “Family farmers,” he insisted, “shld be top of mind.”
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