By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

The president’s trip to Southeast Asia in late October led to several trade agreements the administration said will be good for U.S. agriculture.

One of the most notable agreements reached during the trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summitt in South Korea was between the United States and China.

“I had a truly great meeting with President Xi of China,” U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. “There is enormous respect between our two countries, and that will only be enhanced with what just took place.”

The president said he and President Xi agreed to many things, including China’s purchase of U.S. agricultural goods.

“I was extremely honored by the fact that President Xi authorized China to begin the purchase of massive amounts of soybeans, sorghum and other farm products,” Trump posted. “Our farmers will be very happy.”

Buyers in China will purchase at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans this year and have agreed to buy at least 25 million metric tons of soybeans each year in 2026, 2027 and 2028, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Rollins did not specify if those purchases will be made in the calendar years or marketing years.

China also agreed to resume purchasing U.S. sorghum and both hardwood and softwood logs.

The White House did not specify how much of each product Chinese buyers are expected to purchase.

China will suspend all of the retaliatory tariffs it has implemented since March 4, 2025, including tariffs on agricultural products like chicken, wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said if China follows through and removes the tariffs and non-tariff countermeasures taken since March 4, it will put U.S. pork in a much more competitive position in the Chinese market.

USMEF also urged renewal of U.S. beef plant and cold storage registrations that have expired in China over the last nine months.

“This will restore access to a critical beef export market,” Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO, said. “China’s recent delisting of some U.S. beef plants for technical violations is also a retaliatory measure that must be addressed. We are anxious to see further progress on these issues.”

In early November, China reinstated export licenses for three U.S. soybean exporters that had been suspended in the heighted of the U.S.-China trade war.

China also lifted a ban on U.S. logs.

Both countries have paused newly-implemented port fees on ships.

The administration was also able to reach other trade deals during the trip to Southeast Asia.

According to Rollins, officials in Malaysia have committed to providing the U.S. preferential market access for products like dairy, poultry, horticultural goods, pork, rice and ethanol.

The secretary said Malaysia will recognize the U.S. food safety system for U.S. meat, poultry and dairy products, will streamline its halal certification of U.S. food and agricultural products and will open market access for U.S. sorghum.

Deals to expand trade were also reportedly reached with Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia will eliminate its 100% tariffs on U.S. goods but will keep the tariff rate of 19% on goods exported from Cambodia to the U.S.

Thailand will reportedly eliminate tariffs on 99% of goods, including most food and agricultural products.

Vietnam will extend preferential market access to U.S. ag goods, including specialty meats and cheeses.

In mid-November, Rollins announced four new trade frameworks with El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala and Argentina.

“We are demanding fair trade, bringing prosperity back to America, and prioritizing our agricultural producers,” Rollins posted on X.

According to the White House, Argentina will provide preferential market access for U.S. exports, including a wide range of agricultural products.

“The countries have committed to improved, reciprocal, bilateral market access conditions for trade in beef,” the White House fact sheet said.

Argentina has opened its market to U.S. live cattle, committed to allow market access for U.S. poultry within one year, and has agreed not to restrict market access for products that use certain meat and cheese terms.

The country will also simplify product registration processes for U.S. beef, beef products, pork products and will not apply facility registration for imports of U.S. dairy products.

The White House said the U.S. and Argentina intend to work together to address non-tariff barriers affecting trade in food and agricultural products as well.

Officials in El Salvador have reportedly committed to break down non-tariff barriers for U.S. agricultural products, ensuring U.S. ag exports will not be restricted due to the use of certain meat and cheese terms.

According to the White House, Ecuador will remove, or decrease, a range of tariff barriers on items like tree nuts, fresh fruits, pulses, wheat, wine and distilled spirits. They will fully eliminate a variable tariff on many agricultural tariffs that had been previously implemented.

Details on how the trade framework with Guatemala will impact agriculture were not immediately available.

The White House said these deals will help reduce the U.S. agricultural trade deficit.