Capital Update – For the Week Ending Oct. 31, 2025

Trump Negotiates Asia Trade Deals, Frameworks Beneficial for Pork

What happened: On his recent trip to Asia, President Trump worked out several trade deals that should be beneficial to U.S. agriculture, particularly pork, including agreements with Japan, Malaysia, and Cambodia, and frameworks for deals with Thailand and Vietnam. Pork is a culinary staple in all five countries.

The United States and Japan finalized an agreement that was negotiated over the summer. Under it, Japan’s exports to the United States will have a 15% tariff (Trump was considering a 25% duty). It agrees to invest $550 billion in the United States and further open its market to U.S. agricultural products and other American goods. Japan is already a major importer of U.S. pork, taking nearly $1.4 billion worth in 2024.

The agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia allow all U.S. food facilities included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory to export to the southeast Asian nations. Malaysia also will recognize the U.S. protection zone for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands related to African swine fever and complete an ASF agreement to recognize regionalization of the entire United States (should that become necessary). Malaysia and Cambodia will recognize U.S. sanitary and phytosanitary measures as equivalent to its own and limit attestations for and information required on import certificates for U.S. food and agricultural products.

The Thailand and Vietnam frameworks include, among other requirements, those countries giving better market access for U.S. industrial and agricultural exports. Though details are not public, the White House indicated that Thailand will eliminate tariffs on approximately 99% of U.S. goods and accept export certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities.

NPPC’s take: NPPC strongly supports expanding market access in Asia through agreements that eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, which have been used by many countries in the region to restrict U.S. pork imports. NPPC will continue urging the Trump administration to negotiate deals that will boost U.S. agricultural exports.

Why it matters: The U.S. pork industry is highly dependent on exports, which in 2024 topped $8.6 billion and equated to an average of more than $66 in value from each hog marketed. U.S. pork exports annually account for about 25% of total production and support more than 140,000 U.S. jobs.

NPPC Comments on USTR’s 2026 National Trade Estimate Report

What happened: NPPC submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on its 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which details significant barriers to U.S. exports of goods and services, U.S. foreign direct investment, and U.S. electronic commerce in important export markets.

Published annually since 1986, the NTE looks at agricultural trade barriers such as tariffs, burdensome facility registration requirements, sanitary-phytosanitary regulations, import licensing requirements not based in science, and other measures that lack adherence to international science- and risk-based standards.

NPPC’s take: In its comments for the most recent report, NPPC listed 22 countries and the European Union as having varying tariff and/or non-tariff barriers limiting U.S. pork exports. Among them:

• Brazil – De facto ban on U.S. pork imports that lacks scientific justification. It requires U.S. pork to be frozen or tested for trichinae.
• China – Ban on the feed additive ractopamine despite an international standard allowing its use. China also has an onerous facility registration system.
• India – Proposed additional export certificate with additional attestations that are not relevant to food safety or based on science.
• South Africa – Prohibition on pork offal and trichinae-related freezing of pork.
• Thailand – De facto ban on U.S. pork imports and a ban on ractopamine use.

Why it matters: The NTE Report helps U.S. negotiators in their efforts to reduce or eliminate trade barriers and is a valuable tool for enforcing U.S. trade laws and agreements. Trade barriers limit U.S. agricultural exports, which are vital to America’s farmers, ranchers, and the overall U.S. economy, supporting about a million U.S. jobs. For pork producers, pork exports contribute significantly to their bottom line. Last year, producers shipped more than $8.6 billion of pork products to foreign destinations.

Senate Committee Considers Callahan Ag Negotiator Post

What happened: The Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing to consider Dr. Julie Callahan, President Trump’s nominee to be the chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). NPPC strongly supports her selection and urges the Committee to swiftly advance her nomination to the full U.S. Senate.

Callahan currently is the assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy, overseeing USTR’s efforts to promote the interests of U.S. farmers, ranchers, and food manufacturers. In President Trump’s first term, she served as a deputy assistant U.S. Trade Representative and senior director in the USTR Agriculture Office.

Callahan has nearly 20 years of experience working on international issues and trade at several agencies, including USTR, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She holds a doctoral degree in marine chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree in earth, atmospheric, and planetary science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Why it matters: The chief agricultural negotiator is responsible for leading and coordinating U.S. agricultural trade negotiations and developing agricultural trade policy. The role historically has been critical to the agricultural sector and has increased in importance as the United States has sought to reduce trade barriers, open new markets, and eliminate unfair trade practices.

Confirming Callahan and filling the chief agricultural negotiator position is important as negotiations continue on reciprocal trade and access for U.S. agricultural products with dozens of countries.