The Court of International Trade will hear arguments today on whether President Donald Trump’s global tariff passes legal muster as opponents push for a swift decision.
The challengers are pushing for a ruling that the tariff, imposed in the wake of February’s Supreme Court ruling, is illegal. The case is a consolidation of cases brought by a group of Democratic state attorneys general and governors, as well as a pair of small businesses.
The plaintiffs argue that the 10% tariff, imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, was designed to address balance-of-payment issues, not trade deficits. They also argue that the U.S. cannot have a balance-of-payment crisis under modern floating exchange rates.
Expect the major questions doctrine, which also featured in the Supreme Court case against Trump’s emergency tariff, to also get plenty of scrutiny. The legal principle says that Congress must provide clear and explicit powers when the executive is taking steps of vast economic significance.
A group of almost 50 economists, including former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and two previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics, weighed in on the side of the plaintiffs this week.
Take note: Trump is still trying to use tariffs to influence countries’ policy decisions. This week he threatened new duties on countries selling military equipment to Iran. A senior White House economic official suggested on Fox Business Thursday that the president could use emergency powers again, despite the Supreme Court ruling they can’t be used for tariffs.
Brazil’s cotton production growing faster than projected, USDA says
The Agriculture Department has adjusted its estimates for Brazilian cotton production as the industry is growing faster than previously thought.
USDA is now expecting a record 19.5 million bales, a 4% revision from last month’s estimates. Such a haul would represent 15% growth from last year – which already broke production records. In the state of Bahia, USDA estimates planting areas are up 19% year over year.
Corn slides: USDA also adjusted its estimates for Brazilian corn production up slightly, but producers are not expected to repeat last year’s record crop.
Interested in more news on farm programs, trade and rural issues? Sign up for a four-week free trial to Agri-Pulse. You’ll receive our content - absolutely free - during the trial period.
Corn acres are projected to be around 2% up from last year. Yields are likely to fall, however, with USDA estimating production for this marketing year to slide 3% from last year.
Rollins talks fertilizer, screwworm on Newsmakers
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins reiterated the importance of boosting domestic production of fertilizer in light of the Iran war, which has limited world supplies and raised crop nutrient prices.
Addressing the fertilizer issue broadly, she said, “We are putting together a larger plan on what this could look like with some big announcements, and that will be coming soon.”
Rollins spoke to Agri-Pulse Newsmakers host Lydia Johnson at the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday, where she also talked about efforts to prevent New World screwworm from entering the U.S. and the importance of getting year-round E15.
“We are taking an all-of-the-above approach to biofuels,” she said.
Also on the show, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler touted SBA’s new “grocery guarantee” loan, which is available to a range of producers “in the agriculture and logistics industries,” according to the agency.
The aim of the loans, which come with an SBA guarantee of up to 90%, is to expand food production and supply.
“Farmers, ranchers, producers, trucking companies, warehouses, logistics and producers can obtain this loan from their local community lender,” Loeffler says.
Andy Seger, Indiana egg farmer and American Egg Board chairman, also appears on the show this week.
Watch Agri-Pulse Newsmakers here. Also take a look at our photo gallery of the White House Easter Egg Roll.
USDA outlines new country focus for food assistance programs
USDA has outlined its new countries of focus for the McGovern-Dole child nutrition program and Food for Progress for the 2026 fiscal year.
McGovern-Dole will award up to $240 million in new cooperative agreements, prioritizing Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia and Timor-Leste, among others. Food for Progress will award up to $226 million in deals, with a focus on Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Trump administration appeals judge’s spill order in Snake River case
The Trump administration is seeking to stay a federal judge’s order requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to temporarily increase spill at dams along the Snake River in Eastern Washington to bolster salmon populations.
Among other arguments, the government contends the increased spill could harm other species such as bull trout.
In late February, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon in Portland, Oregon, expressed disappointment with the Corps’ plans to reduce the amount of water that spills through the dams compared to previous years. Instead, he ordered the agency to implement spill levels comparable to 2024 and 2025 and to maintain 2025 water levels in reservoirs. The judge issued a preliminary injunction mandating the higher flows.
In their appeal, lawyers for the federal government also argue the elevated spill levels will "cause irreparable harm to the public by increasing the cost of electricity, reducing grid stability, and substantially increasing the risk of blackouts.”
Big picture: The longstanding dispute over the dams’ impacts has pitted tribes, environmentalists and fishermen concerned about salmon declines against farmers and shippers who depend on the system’s locks for transporting grain.
APHIS relaxes requirements for imported horses
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says imported horses will no longer need documents attesting to a pre-export veterinary exam at the point of export within 48 hours of departure.
In a Federal Register notice to be published today, APHIS says parties experienced “logistical barriers” in meeting the requirements, which were imposed in 2023.
Horses will still be inspected at the port of entry and quarantined until tests show they are free from communicable diseases. They will also still need an inspection at the premises of origin that shows they are free from evidence of communicable disease.
The new requirements will go into effect in 30 days.
Trump visits MAHA roundtable hosted by Kennedy
President Donald Trump made an appearance at a Make America Healthy Again roundtable at the White House Thursday, an administration spokesperson told Agri-Pulse.
Kush Desai said in a brief statement that Trump “stopped by” the roundtable hosted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and senior White House officials with MAHA activists and stakeholders.
“MAHA is a key base in the historic coalition that resoundingly re-elected President Trump, and the administration regularly meets with the MAHA community to hear their concerns and advice,” Desai said.
Final word
“God’s perfect food.” – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaking about the quality of eggs on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers from the White House.
