June 12, 2025

U.S. and China Agreement to Get Negotiations Going Again

Senior U.S. and Chinese negotiators announced a framework for getting their trade negotiations back on track after a series of disputes arose and threatened to derail the talks. The announcement was made by both sides and came at the end of two days of talks in London that wrapped up late Tuesday. The meetings appeared to focus on finding a way to resolve disputes over mineral and technology exports that had shaken a fragile truce on trade reached in Geneva last month. The AP says it’s not clear yet if they made any significant progress on the more fundamental differences over China’s sizable trade surplus with the U.S. “First, we had to get some of the negativity out, and now we can go forward,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said after the meetings concluded. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping also spoke on the phone to calm the tensions.

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U.S. Tractor and Combine Sales Continue Dropping in May

According to recent data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, U.S. sales of combines and tractors dropped in all categories during May. Total agricultural tractor sales were down 12 percent and combine sales were 21 percent lower compared to May 2024. “This continued slump of U.S. tractor and combine sales reflects broader challenges in the ag economy,” says Curt Blades, senior vice president of AEM. “High interest rates, global trade uncertainty, and increased input prices are causing farmers to delay major equipment purchases.” The biggest drop came in four-wheel-drive tractor sales, which fell 39 percent from May 2024 to May 2025. Self-propelled combine sales sank 21 percent over the same period. Canadian combine sales rose 16 percent in May compared to May 2024, while sales of four-wheel-drive tractors jumped 35 percent year-to-date. “We’re very encouraged by the strong performance in the Canadian market and remain hopeful,” Blades added. 

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Deere Must Face Right-to-Repair Lawsuit

A court ruling determined that agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere must face a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission, which accuses the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network. A judge ruled that drove up farmers’ costs for repairs and parts. A U.S. District Court Judge in Rockford, Illinois, rejected Deere’s effort, for now, to end the lawsuit, which was filed at the end of President Joe Biden’s administration in January. “The suit alleges John Deere is violating federal antitrust law by controlling too tightly where and how farmers can get their equipment repaired, allowing the company to charge artificially higher prices,” a Reuters report said. “The FTC was joined in its lawsuit by Michigan, Wisconsin, and three other states.” Right-to-repair advocates say the digitization of agriculture equipment, with its various computers, has made self-repair almost impossible, forcing farmers to depend on the manufacturer.

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Vaden Confirmed as Deputy USDA Secretary

“Several key agriculture groups in the U.S. congratulated Stephen Vaden on his confirmation as USDA Deputy Secretary. “His experience and demonstrated leadership within USDA and commitment to U.S. agriculture make him well-qualified to serve in this critical leadership role to address the current challenges and opportunities in agriculture,” said Ted McKinney, NASDA CEO. The NCBA says Vaden has spent his career immersed in trade issues and fighting for farmers and ranchers. “His unique skill set is especially important now as the Trump administration works to expand market access for cattle producers,” says Ethan Lane, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs. Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall adds that Vaden, a judge on the International Court of Trade, will hit the ground running “with a firm understanding of the challenges facing American farmers.” Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, Vaden’s new boss, says, “Judge Vaden is a seasoned lawyer and patriot dedicated to putting farmers first.” 

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Dairy Farmers Approve New Trade Initiative

Dairy farmers from around the nation approved a new initiative to boost dairy exports and welcomed a new cooperative member, as well as new farmer-leaders as the National Milk Producers Federations’ Board of Directors meeting concluded this week. “It’s an amazing story if you imagine the millions of people who buy something we touch every day with our products,” said NMPF Board Chair Randy Mooney. “It’s not just at dinner, not just breakfast, but all day long because of what you can turn dairy into.” The board voted to implement a new member-funded export assistance program called NEXT, starting on July 1. The NEXT program will focus on supporting U.S. dairy exports in key markets around the world, including Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. A majority of the milk supplied to worldwide consumers by NMPF members is supporting the NEXT program with two cents per hundredweight through 2028. 

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A New Platform for Livestock Producers

Livestock producers at The National Swine Registry’s Exposition in Indianapolis got their first look at a new social media platform built for them called StockLink. It’s the first social media app created by livestock producers for livestock producers. StockLink was founded by livestock producers Chris and Kaitlyn Hofschulte (HOFF-shuhl-tee) after Facebook unexpectedly shut down their show pig business page in 2019, wiping out years of audience-building and customer relationships. They soon found out they weren’t alone. Breeders and farmers across the country were being censored or losing access to their communities due to Facebook’s policies prohibiting the sale of animals, especially live ones. “We built StockLink so that people can peacefully promote their businesses without worrying about platforms like Facebook shutting them down,” said Kaitlyn Hofschulte. “It’s a safe spot for all of us to buy and sell livestock and genetics without interruption.” For more information, go to stocklinkapp.com(Link is external)

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