U.S. farm exports fall in ’25 as sales to China drop

Published 10:45 am Monday, February 23, 2026

The U.S. exported $171.3 billion worth of farm goods in 2025, down 3% from the year before, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

Exports fell about $5 billion short of the previous year. Soybean exports to China were down by about $9.6 billion, offsetting gains by other commodities in other countries.

The U.S. continued to run a farm trade deficit. The U.S. imported $212 billion worth of agricultural products, a decline of less than 1% from the previous year.

Early in the year, some farm groups asked the Trump administration to get tougher on trade, complaining other countries impose high tariffs and put up non-tariff barriers. Other farm groups warned against provoking trade wars.

Despite the concerns and a flurry of trade deals, overall global trade figures did not swing dramatically in 2025, though exports to China declined by 66% to $8.3 billion.

The year ended with soybean sales to China totaling $3 billion, compared to $12.6 billion in 2024. China has resumed buying soybeans, but not yet to previous levels.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Feb. 20 that President Trump can’t use the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs. The ruling nullified tariffs the president put on China and other trading partners to lower the trade deficit.

The president immediately imposed a 10% surcharge on imports for 150 days under the Trade Act of 1974. He said in a social media post he will increase the surcharge to 15%, the maximum allowed by the act. Fertilizers that aren’t produced in sufficient quantity in the U.S. to meet domestic demand will be exempt from the surcharge.

Mexico remained the top foreign market for U.S. agriculture. The U.S. exported $30.6 billion worth of farm goods, up 1%. Exports to Canada, the No. 2 market, fell by 4% to $28.2 billion.

Exports to the European Union increased by 11% to $16.7 billion.

The U.S. exported $6.3 billion worth of wheat, up 8%. Dairy exports rose by 15% to $9.5 billion. Beef exports declined by 11% to $9.3 billion.

Processed fruit exports rose 3% to $1.6 billion, while fresh fruit exports declined by 3% to $4.6 billion.