800 326 9054President Donald Trump used a speech in the nation’s top corn, pork, egg, and ethanol-producing state Tuesday to tout the benefits of his trade policies and express support for year-round E15, including a commitment to sign the provision into law if it reaches his desk.
Speaking in Iowa to launch a series of trips around the country, Trump also said that “because of tariffs,” John Deere is increasing domestic manufacturing by opening two new facilities: a distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, and a $70M excavator manufacturing factory in Kernersville, North Carolina.
Trump told Iowans he supported year-round E15 during his campaign, but chose not to publicly weigh in last week when it became a contentious issue in negotiations over the fiscal 2026 government funding package.
Trump affirmed Tuesday he supports the year-round sale of the higher ethanol blend fuel and confirmed he would sign the provision into law if it’s passed through Congress.
“The people of Iowa know that I am trusting speaker Mike Johnson who’s great, and Leader John Thune … to find a deal that works,” Trump said. “We’ve got it for farmers, consumers, and refiners, including small and mid-sized refiners … to get E15 approved.”
“They’re very close to getting it done,” Trump asserted.
Instead of including the provision in the funding bill, the House adopted a rule to establish an E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council to develop legislative solutions to address the issue in a move that outraged corn growers and the ethanol industry. The council has until Feb. 15 to submit a legislative proposal, with the goal of considering a bill by Feb. 25.
“I will sign it without delay,” Trump said, referencing a year-round E15 bill making it to his desk.
The crowd erupted with applause.
“I hope you remember us for the midterms,” Trump added.
While the provision draws support from some Midwest Democrats, it’s unlikely to pass as a standalone bill. It’s unclear if it could ride on another measure, making the future of the provision uncertain.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Kelly Loeffler, who heads the Small Business Administration, joined Trump for the trip.
The Iowa Congressional delegation – Republican Reps. Zach Nunn, Mariannette Miller Meeks, Ashley Hinson, and Randy Feenstra – were also in attendance and much of their political future will be influenced by Trump’s ratings in Iowa.
Iowa’s Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley returned to Washington for votes Tuesday evening ahead of negotiations to avert a government shutdown set to begin at the end of the week if the chamber doesn’t find a way to approve the remaining FY26 funding bills.
John Deere breaks ground on two new facilities
“It’s brand new, the best in the world,” Trump said, said of John Deere’s new facilities. “I think it’s going to pay off very, very big. And if it doesn’t, I have nothing to do with it. But if it does, I’m going to take full credit.”
Each facility will employ at least 150 people, according to a release from John Deere.
The North Carolina excavator manufacturing facility relocates the company’s current functions from Japan.
“Our investment in these new facilities underscores John Deere’s dedication to strengthening the backbone of American industry and supporting local economies,” said John May, chairman and chief executive officer of John Deere, in a statement. “We believe in building America, and these projects represent our intent to continue driving innovation and job creation in the United States.”
Trump said he met privately with May and signed a John Deere hat before his public remarks.
Top trade official meets with Iowa farmers
Touting the benefits of his trade policies, Trump proclaimed that he’s made “new fair trade deals with countries covering half of all U.S. trade, scoring giant wins for the farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers like no other president has ever done.”
“That’s why I got such a tremendous vote from the farmers. And I love you, too,” Trump told the Iowans. “I do love you, too.”
In a separate meeting down the street Tuesday, USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg met with Iowa farmers in a meeting focused primarily on emerging and underutilized markets, according to a source engaged in the discussion.
The future of the U.S.-China-Mexico Canada trade agreement which is due to be renewed in 2026 and the U.S.-China relationship was also discussed, according to the source.
Specifically in his remarks, Trump touted trade agreements with Japan and the United Kingdom on ethanol, biofuels, and sustainable aviation fuel.
He also called out a trade deal with Australia allowing imports of American beef for the first time in 20 years. Trump mentioned beef prices, saying “beef is doing great, and we got to get the prices down a little bit.”
Trump praised China’s commitment to purchase U.S. soybeans, adding “you know that. You’re selling them.”
Historically before the recent trade tensions began, about one out of every three rows of soybeans produced in Iowa was exported to China.
Trump also touted the elimination of trade barriers in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines as crucial aspects to his trade policy negotiations.
“Your agricultural products had trade barriers that didn’t allow them to be sold in countries that are now saying, ‘oh, please, we’d love to accept your profit,’” Trump told the Iowans. “You’re going to see it starting to kick in now for the farmers.”
Trump pitches farm aid, tariffs
Trump also used his remarks to tout the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance program he announced in December alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to support farmers who “were screwed by other countries.”
“I said, Brooke, what’s the number? And she said $12 billion,” Trump told the crowd. “I wrote a check for $12 billion because we have so much money from the tariffs coming in.”
The funding actually comes from the Treasury, not from tariffs, but Trump continued to insist that tariff revenue is paying for the subsidies. Iowa farmers are set to receive about $893 million in FBA program payments by the end of February, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation analysis.
The federal government raised $195 billion in customs duties in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, more than 250% of what it collected in FY 2024, according to the final Monthly Treasury Statement of FY 2025. These figures confirm that the Trump Administration’s tariff policies have resulted in a significant increase in tariff revenue – though the net fiscal impact is still uncertain, and court rulings could reduce and reverse these gains.
“You couldn’t have done that before,” Trump went on, touting the ability of the U.S. to compensate farmers for market and commodity market losses due to his trade war. “We’re a rich country now and I hope we win that Supreme Court case.”
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Trump’s emergency tariffs in October but has yet to issue a decision. The pending legal decision has not deterred the president from making new tariff threats, or in today’s case, praising the impact of current policies.
Amid a struggling farm economy, farm groups are pressing lawmakers to pass a new round of farm assistance to provide additional compensation for market and commodity market losses due to the president’s tariff policy even though it was left out of a fiscal 2026 funding package.
However, it’s unclear when there will be another legislative vehicle that could carry the agricultural funding.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
*Sourced from Agri-Pulse.