The US has warned that countries signing trade agreements with it must meet the targets set under those deals. Speaking at Soy Connext 2025, Luke Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, said the aim of trade negotiations is a three-step process—securing better deals, putting more dollars into farmers’ pockets, and ensuring accountability from partners.
The US will hold accountable countries that sign trade deals with it to meet the targets set in the agreements, a US trade official said on Thursday.
“The reasons for the US signing more trade deals is to put more dollars in the pockets of the farmers. The US will hold the other side accountable for trade deals,” said Luke Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA). He was speaking at the inaugural function of Soy Connext 2025, organised by the US Soybean Export Council. (USSEC).
3-step process
He said that getting better deals, putting more money in farmers’ pockets, and holding the other side accountable were the three steps of the US trade negotiation process with other countries.
Though farming was not the only agenda in the trade negotiations, agriculture is an important part of the talks, he said.
Stating that farm economy and agriculture were on the table during discussions, he said getting a better deal for US farmers would “create prosperity”.
Jana Fritz, Chair of USSEC, stated that unity among the farm community was important to ensure better deals.
Jim Sutter, CEO of USSEC, said global diversification (for the US) was not a future ambition and it was “today’s reality”.
Over 700 participants from 59 countries are taking part in Soy Connext 2025, which is trying to promote US soyabeans as a protein-rich and sustainable agricultural product.
Brazil to grow more soya
Bruno Coletti, oilseeds analyst at Cargill Inc., said Brazil would continue to grow more soyabeans over the next few years, though its pace will likely be slower than after the Covid pandemic.
He said soyabean production increased by 156.95 million tonnes (mt) between 2010 and 2024, with US output rising to 117 mt and that of Brazil to 176 mt.
“The yield per hectare has increased by 30 kg in these 15 years,” said Coletti. Demand for soyabean will continue to grow in South and Central America, South-East Asia and Africa due to the rise in population and GDP.
Regarding the short-term trend for oilseeds, he noted that the volume of the upcoming US soyabean crop committed for exports is the second lowest, but there is “plenty of time” for shipments to pick up. He, however, cautioned that the US had a narrow window between September and January to ship out its crop to China.
(The writer is in the US at the invitation of USSEC)
Published on August 22, 2025