President Donald Trump heads to Iowa this week to shore up his rural base and promote the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, fresh from dropping a threat to impose new tariffs that farm groups and lawmakers feared could jeopardize congressional approval of the North American trade pact.

Biofuel credit traders would be placed under a new set of limitations under a proposed rule released today by the Environmental Protection Agency that would also allow summer E15 sales.

While acknowledging that “it’s tough out there,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue assured producers at Commodity Classic on Friday that there are reasons to be optimistic about the farm economy.

The Senate confirmed Andrew Wheeler as EPA administrator on a 52-47 party-line vote, clearing the way for him to move forward with implementing major regulatory priorities of the Trump administration, including finalization of a new "waters of the U.S." rule and a year-round waiver for E15.

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue told the House Agriculture Committee today that the Environmental Protection Agency won’t wrap up rulemaking for summertime E15 sales in time for the summer driving season. But the EPA isn’t so sure.

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler plans to issue a rule allowing year-round use of E15 by the summer driving season, provided the government shutdown ends in a “reasonable” length of time.