Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Friday announced on social media that Taiwan agreed to purchase some $10 billion of U.S. ag products over the next four years. But U.S. ag exports to the island were already on course to top that figure, raising questions about the size of the Taiwanese commitment.
Rollins touted the “breaking trade win” in a post to X on Friday morning.
“Taiwan just committed to $10 BILLION in US agriculture buys over the next 4 years, including soybeans, corn, wheat & beef,” she wrote, calling the deal a “game-changer” for U.S. producers.
But social media users in the commodity business noted in response that $10 billion over the next four years would represent a slowdown, not acceleration, of Taiwan ag exports. Between 2020 and 2024, U.S. sent an average of $3.8 billion in ag goods annually to the island.
When asked to clarify whether the announcement represented $10 billion in additional ag purchases, a USDA spokesperson suggested contacting the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. USTR did not respond to multiple requests to clarify the statement.
Don’t miss a beat! It’s easy to sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! For the latest on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and around the country in agriculture, just click here.
A Taiwanese agricultural trade delegation met with trade groups and lawmakers in Washington this week. On Wednesday, the Taiwan Flour Millers Association penned a deal with U.S. Wheat Associates to buy some 132 million bushels of U.S. wheat between 2026 and 2029, with an estimated value of $1.3 billion, according to a USW statement.
The flour millers also inked letters of intent to buy U.S. soybeans and corn.
A USW spokesperson told Agri-Pulse the letter of intent doesn’t necessarily mean wheat exports will grow.
Taiwanese Agricultural Trade Goodwill Missions have been a regular occurrence – this week’s mission was the 15th visit to U.S. soil. The letter of intent, the USW spokesperson said, is more a reflection of both sides’ commitment to an ongoing successful relationship than a pledge to expand cross-border wheat trade.
In a meeting with representatives from Nebraska Republican Rep. Adrian Smith’s office, Taiwanese representatives discussed “commercial purchases that they're planning,” Smith aide Abby Goins said on Wednesday.
Representatives from USW and the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the Grains and Bioproducts Council – the two organizations that signed letters of intent with the delegation – did not respond to questions from Agri-Pulse on Friday on whether these deals would lead to an increase in annual U.S. exports.
Angie Setzer, a partner at Consus Ag Consulting, said the Trump administration "has a habit of taking small wins – or worse, something that would keep things in line with what was happening prior to Liberation Day and acting like they're big wins."
But Setzer also said in an email that she sympathizes with Rollins, because the agriculture community and broader public aren’t acknowledging many of the genuine positives in U.S. agricultural trade currently playing out.
“The wheat export book is one of the best in over a decade, the corn export book a record, crush demand – a record, ethanol exports – record high, soybean product exports – you guessed it, a record,” Setzer said.
Steve Davies contributed to this report.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
