USDA Set to Announce New “Bridge Payments” for Farmers Facing Export Losses

December 3, 2025 – Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that the administration will unveil new “bridge payments” next week to support farmers hit by export losses amid ongoing trade disruptions. Rollins made the announcement during a public cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, signaling that long-promised relief for producers affected by tariff retaliation is imminent.

“We do have a bridge payment we’ll be announcing with you next week,” Rollins told the president, noting that the USDA has already shifted more than $10 billion from a fund previously used for tariff assistance into the secretary’s office to help finance the effort.

Rollins emphasized that while emergency aid is necessary in the short term, the administration’s long-term goal is to make U.S. agriculture profitable without government support. “Many of them have been farming for government checks instead of moving their product around the world,” she said, arguing recent trade agreements will expand markets for American crops. “We’re talking about selling more soybeans, selling more corn, getting more of our products out.”

Rollins also pointed to new developments in global commodity markets, celebrating reports that China temporarily halted soybean imports from five Brazilian exporters after detecting pesticide-treated wheat in shipments. “That means a continued signal that this country and our farmers produce the best, highest-quality soybean, sorghum, etcetera, in the world,” she said.

President Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that their meeting in South Korea last month was followed by “one of the largest purchases of soybeans ever seen.” China has bought 2.3 million tons of U.S. soybeans since that meeting—though purchases remain below the nearly 7 million tons bought during the same period in 2024.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said an announcement on tariff relief will likely come within two weeks, though questions remain about the size of the package. USDA officials warn that rising crop prices and new trade deals could reduce the need for large payments, but Boozman urged caution. “You have to look at the big picture,” he said. “A lot of producers have already sold the crop.”