Weekly newsletter: November 20, 2025

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Tariffs and trade impacts across the Basin

Grain storage bins at the Linn Co-op in Alburnett, Iowa. Continued market uncertainty following the United States’ trade dispute with China has led many soybean producers to store their grain rather than sell now, as they hope for an increase in prices. Credit: Nick Rohlman/The Gazette

Hi ,

At the end of last week, news outlets reported that President Trump would roll back his signature tariffs on some commodities, including beef, coffee and fruit, in a bid to reduce the high prices many are seeing at the grocery store. 

These tariffs have brought significant and varied impacts across the Mississippi River Basin over the last few months. This week, we've brought together a few recent local pieces from Desk reporters as we continue to monitor these changes.

Amid trade turmoil, Iowa farmers turn to grain storage as markets stall

By Olivia Cohen, The Gazette

Uncertain trade relationship pushes more producers to hold onto their crops, hoping for better prices.

Dozens of TN hardwood companies join industry plea for federal relief from tariff hardships

By Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout

452 lumber industry mills, manufacturers and distributors want to be recognized as critical agricultural producers and be eligible for federal relief payments.

Trump’s trade deal will allow soybean sales to flow back to China, but farmers are still left in an unworkable economy

By Phillip Powell, Arkansas Times

At the end of October, the Trump administration proudly announced that it struck a deal with China to de-escalate the trade war Trump started earlier this year, which has hit American farmers especially hard. It includes a commitment from China to resume buying U.S. soybeans after not doing so since May when trade tensions between the two countries exploded.

One more piece before you go: reporter Cassandra Stephenson also has this look at another round of relief for farmers hit by recent natural disasters.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading. More next week from across the Basin.

The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk is an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Click here for a map of the basin and our partner newsrooms.

Reach us at info@agwaterdesk.org or by replying to this email. 

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