Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and serves as a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, recently spoke with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to emphasize the need for prioritizing U.S. agricultural sales in ongoing trade negotiations.

Hoeven highlighted that foreign purchases of American agricultural products are crucial for producers facing current market challenges. He noted that many North Dakota farmers are in the midst of harvesting crops such as soybeans, wheat, and corn. These sales could help them manage until improved trade agreements are reached.

The senator also raised concerns about air quality issues caused by wildfire smoke from Canada. He urged that Canadian officials take stronger measures to control these fires, citing both health risks and disruptions to summer activities in North Dakota.

“Secretary Bessent is front and center in the Trump administration’s trade negotiations, and our conversation was focused on the need to prioritize agriculture sales in the next round of negotiations with China to help our farmers and ranchers get through current difficulties until better trade deals are secured,” said Hoeven. “The long-term goal here is getting better trade deals and removing both tariff and non-tariff barriers to ensure our producers are treated fairly in the global marketplace. Our farmers and ranchers can compete with anyone, anywhere as long as they are given a level playing field. At the same time, North Dakotans have real concerns with Canada ‘exporting smoke’ and reduced air quality, which has not only impeded summer activities, but is a serious health concern. We need to make sure the Canadian government is doing more to address and prevent these fires, and I’ve asked Secretary Bessent to press this issue as trade talks continue.”

Hoeven’s discussion comes at a time when many U.S. producers face uncertainty due to shifting international markets and environmental factors.