In case you frequent a farmers market, possibly you must count on an entire lot of soybeans for the foreseeable future.
A photograph snapped by The Related Press’ Angelina Katsanis throughout final week’s United Nations Basic Meeting reveals a textual content message despatched to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from somebody whose initials match these of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
And if it was Rollins, she appeared fairly ticked off.
The Sept. 23 textual content references Bessent’s plan, publicly introduced the subsequent day, for the U.S. to ship Argentina, whose right-leaning president has overseen a flailing economic system, what is actually a $20 billion bailout.
“Just a heads up. I am getting more intel, but this is highly unfortunate,” the message started. “We bailed out Argentina yesterday (Bessent) and in return, the Argentine’s removed their export tariffs on grains, reducing their price, and sold a bunch of soybeans to China, at a time when we would normally be selling to China. Soy prices dropping further because of it. This gives China more leverage on us.”
AP Picture/Angelina Katsanis
Together with this message, the textual content additionally included a hyperlink to grain dealer Ben Scholl’s criticism of Bessent’s intention to bail out Argentina.
“They think you are stupid,” Scholl wrote.
The message then concludes with the sender writing: “On a plane but scott I can call you when I land.”
HuffPost has reached out to the Treasury Division and Rollins for remark however didn’t obtain a direct response.
China, the most important purchaser of U.S. soybeans, has not bought any American soybeans since Might, because of President Donald Trump’s tariff wars, Politico studies. China has determined to pivot and purchase from Latin American suppliers corresponding to Brazil and now Argentina, reducing the U.S. out and leaving American farmers scrambling.
And only a reminder about what sort of man Argentina’s President Javier Milei is — he was the dude who gifted Elon Musk the bedazzled chainsaw the billionaire waved round on stage throughout the Conservative Political Motion Convention in February. Milei stood on stage with the then-head of the Division of Authorities Effectivity, enthusiastically giving the thumbs-up as Musk paraded the facility instrument across the stage and proclaimed it was the “chainsaw for bureaucracy.”
Milei, very similar to Musk, is a fan of drastic public spending cuts.
SAUL LOEB through Getty Pictures
Final week, the American Soybean Affiliation begged Trump to make a cope with China.
“U.S. farmers cannot wait and hope any longer,” ASA President Caleb Ragland stated in a press release. “ASA is calling on President Trump and his negotiating team to prioritize securing an immediate deal on soybeans with China. The farm economy is suffering while our competitors supplant the United States in the biggest soybean import market in the world.”
