Another busy week is ahead with Trump cabinet chiefs testifying on Capitol Hill, U.S.-Iran negotiations and attempts to protect American livestock.
Full attention is on whether two major global shipping lanes will fully or partially reopen this week as Trump administration officials return to Pakistan Monday for another round of talks with Iran.
War in the Middle East and the massive disruption to global shipments of petroleum oil, liquified natural gas and crop fertilizer continues to cloud the economic outlook. The fossil-fuel predicament coincides with the 56th anniversary of Earth Day on Wednesday.
The average price of U.S. gasoline as of Sunday was about $4.04 a gallon, according to the automobile group AAA. That’s down 8 cents from a week earlier, but still above the psychologically significant $4 mark.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are among top Trump administration officials who will appear at congressional hearings this week. Fertilizer supplies, energy costs and key trade issues are all certain to be discussed.
Trading lanes
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed despite a new ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Iranian government said Saturday it would reclaim control of the waterway less than a day after declaring it open.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump accused the Iranian government of violating the terms of an ongoing ceasefire that is set to expire this week.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Meanwhile, Rollins said she will visit Arizona later this week as the department continues its assessment of the New World screwworm threat to U.S. livestock and whether the southern border can be reopened to live cattle imports from Mexico.
The U.S. cattle industry has long relied on Mexico for feeder cattle, with the country accounting for around 60% of U.S. live cattle imports, or more than a million cattle head annually.
But those imports have been suspended for around a year over screwworm fears.
Speaking in Texas on Friday at the groundbreaking of a new sterile fly facility, Rollins suggested that the U.S. was on a strong “path,” and stressed that no cases have been detected within hundreds of miles of the Arizona border. Accordingly, she said she would visit the Douglas port of entry this week to take “a first-hand look” at the situation.
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“They’re very confident in what they’ve built there and what they’ve prepared for,” she added.
Tariff returns
Business owners will be able to take the first steps on Monday towards securing refunds for the tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin accepting applications for the first tranche of applications – which could cover $127 billion of up to $175 billion in refunds.
Democrats are already eyeing opportunities to use the refund process to keep attention on affordability and high costs of living, with lawmakers on a House Appropriations subcommittee peppering Greer last week with questions on whether consumers stand to benefit from the refunds.
The issue could come up again this week when Greer heads back to Capitol Hill to brief lawmakers on the administration’s trade policy agenda. He’ll be in front of the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday, then the Senate Finance Committee Thursday.
The administration has said it intends to “double down” on an “America first” trade policy – which has seen trade officials pursue increased domestic production and higher wages through the use of new tariffs, narrow trade deals and trade and investment commitments from partners.
Here is a list of agriculture or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EST):
Monday, April 20
DC Climate Week, various locations, through April 26.
The American Commodity Distribution Association holds a conference focused on strengthening USDA food distribution programs, Seattle, through Wednesday.
2 p.m. – USDA Bioenergy Statistics.
4 p.m. – USDA Crop Progress.
5:30 p.m. – Senate Agriculture Committee votes on the nomination of Glen Smith to be undersecretary of agriculture for rural development, S-216, President’s Room.
Tuesday, April 21
The Yeutter Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources hosts a symposium on “a new international trading system.” USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Julie Callahan delivers the keynote address.
9:30 a.m. – Energy Secretary Christopher Wright testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 366 Dirksen.
Wednesday, April 22
The 56th anniversary of Earth Day.
USDA spring data users meeting, in person or virtual, Kansas City, Mo.
10 a.m. – Interior Secretary Doug Burgum testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Appropriations’ interior panel, 124 Dirksen.
10 a.m. – U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on trade policy, 1100 Longworth.
10 a.m. – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Appropriations’ commerce panel, 192 Dirksen.
1 p.m. – The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy will host a webinar on “Shaping the Future of Food.”
2:30 p.m. – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Appropriations’ agriculture panel, 106 Dirksen.
2:30 p.m. – Energy Secretary Christopher Wright testifies at a budget hearing of the Senate Appropriations’ energy panel, 124 Dirksen.
3 p.m. – USDA’s livestock slaughter annual summary.
Thursday, April 23
The School Nutrition Association holds a National Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo., through Saturday.
8 a.m. -- House Appropriations subcommittee holds a markup of a fiscal 2027 agriculture, rural development and FDA budget bill, H-140, Capitol Complex.
8:30 a.m. – USDA weekly export sales.
10 a.m. – U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on trade policy, 215 Dirksen.
9:30 a.m. – The International Food Policy Research Institute hosts a seminar, “A Narrow Strait, Global Consequences: Hormuz Strait and Fertilizer Markets.”
Friday, April 24
11 a.m. – USDA Food Price Outlook.
3 p.m. – USDA annual dairy products summary.
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