The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) revealed the 55 trade groups that will receive assistance from America First Trade Promotion Program (AFTPP), with the American Soybean Association (ASA) receiving $14 million in assistance — the largest single amount among the organizations.
Revealed last November, the AFTPP will offer farmers marketing support to help them sell their agricultural goods abroad, the FAS shared in a press release. The program is supported by the Working Families Tax Cuts, which provides FAS with $285 million in supplemental funding in fiscal year 2027 to support programs such as AFTPP, the Market Access Program, and the Foreign Market Development Program.
This year, AFTPP provided $165.7 million in assistance, with only four groups receiving more than $10 million. ASA received the most, and the Cotton Council International, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, and U.S. Meat Export Federation each received $12.5 million.
ASA, U.S. Soybean Export Council, and World Initiative for Soy in Human Health will use the $14 million to provide buyers with tools and data to promote and purchase soybeans from the U.S., the trade groups shared in a press release.
“For soybean farmers, demand is everything. This funding helps strengthen long-term market access and ensures U.S. soy remains competitive in a global marketplace, keeping American farmers at the forefront of growing global demand,” said Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer, in a press release.
U.S. soybean farmers face growing global competition
The support comes as U.S. soybean farmers face challenges in the 2025/26 marketing year — from lingering market access questions to fertilizer volatility due to the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. Most (68%) U.S. soybean farmers stated that they could not afford all the fertilizer required for this year, per an American Farm Bureau Federation survey of 5,700 growers.
Additionally, 84% of U.S. farmers were concerned or very concerned about Brazilian soybean exports, according to Purdue University’s and CME Group’s January 2026 Ag Economy Barometer. Brazil expects to export a record-breaking 113.6 million metric tons of soybeans this year, with China being the number one destination for Brazilian exports.
U.S. and Brazilian soybean markets could both face changing demand from China. China is preparing to bolster its domestic production of various grains, reducing its imports by 115 million tons by 2035, a 25.5% drop from the base three-year period of 2023-2025, per the China Agricultural Outlook (2026–35) report.
Despite the uncertainty, U.S. soybean farmers are expanding acreage and are ahead of planting this year.
Soybean farmers intend to plant 84.7 million acres this year, a 4% increase from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Additionally, 12% of total soybean acres were planted as of April 19, 5% higher than the same date last year, according to the USDA’s Crop Progress report from April 20.
