June 3, 2025 • 10 mins
US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins discusses foreign purchases of US agriculture products, concerns about food additives and treatments, steps taken to recalibrate global trade programs, and protections for US farmers. She is joined by Bloomberg's Matt Miller.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
US Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins joins US now where she
is in Rome for meetings with Italian counterparts right now.
She posted on AX yesterday about her mission balancing trade
and putting American ag first.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
I'm pleased to get.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
The Secretary on a television with US, Brook Rowland, Secretary Rowlands,
thank you so much for joining us. Let me first
ask what you have achieved there in Rome, because, as
we know, exports to Europe and the UK have been
important but problematic. They have issues with genetically modified crops,
they have issues with the hormone that we use in
(00:46):
our beef, they have issues with the chlorine that we.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Use to wash our chickens.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So what can we do about those kind of non
trade barriers and what have you achieved there?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Well, thanks so much for having me on a couple
of quick top lines, and then we'll talk about that.
The first thing is this that the President's vision to
realign the world economy around putting America first was long coming.
For too long, America has been subject to a terra
regime of other countries, and now that's changing, and it's
changing for the better.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
For our country.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
So I think that's really really important from my perspective
for our farmers and our ranchers. The second thing I
think is important as being in Italy today, I was
in the UK just a couple of weeks ago. I'll
be in Vietnam, Japan and India next month. That it
is time that we move these products and continue to
work on the world stage. Last night, we had an
incredible day all day yesterday and last night with my
(01:39):
counterparts here in Italy, their Minister of Agriculture, Lolo Brigita,
who is wonderful. We talked about getting more of our soybeans,
more of our wheat, more of our great products from
America into Italy and of course across the EU. But
the third thing I'll say, and that is your point,
that this concept that American agriculture isn't safe for the
(02:00):
medically modified, you know, whatever it is, there are thousands,
thousands of research data compilations that prove that to be wrong.
Those are called non tariff trade barriers, and they are
absolutely not real.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It's not based in science. And it's time that that change.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And I know our trade team from America has been
working on that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
They continue to work on that.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
We've got more deals that will be or should be
announced in the next week or two, and that non
tariff part of that is a really important part. When
people say the chlorinated chicken, only five percent of our
chicken in America still uses that chlorine rinse, and even
if more used it, it's still considered safe according to
worldwide standards, not just American standards. Same on the GMOs,
(02:46):
same on the hormones, etc. So we feel very confident
we have the best product in the world and we're
going to keep moving it out.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Miss.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
The issues that you're raising seem to be some that
our own Health Secretary Rob F. Kennedy has with foods
the science clearly notwithstanding right, he has issues with chemical treatments.
He has issues with additives in some of our foods
that are very similar to those that the EU and
the UK have. Aren't you looking at changes along those
(03:19):
lines for US food standards as well?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Secretary Kennedy has been very clear that the American product
is safe and it is really the best. Now where
he comes in is can we do better? And I
think what everyone everywhere, in every product, every lane, it's
always about how do we do better.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
How do we do better? How do we ensure that
our products.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Are continually improving? And we're doing that, and that's where
he's coming down. But really, as part of the Make
America Healthy Again Commission, as the mom of four teenagers
a MAHA mom myself, it isn't just it's more about
the ultra processed foods. It's more about all of the
the other parts of the environment in America that are
making our population as more unhealthy.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Chronic disease, etc. Is at an all time high.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
But this has nothing to do with our soybeans, our wheat,
our beef, our seafood, all of the great products that
are coming from America. And Secretary Kennedy and I are
very close. We've talked about this at length. He's visited
farms with me in Texas. We have another couple of
farms we're going to be visiting in California in the
next month.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So we are sympatical on this. Now.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Do we agree on everything, No, but we agree on
most things. And I think that the American people under
President Trump's vision will be the ultimate beneficiary of that.
But also, as we are on the world stage continuing
to move our great farming and ranching products out there.
And I know your guest a minute ago talked about China. Listen,
we had a great deal with China in twenty nineteen.
(04:51):
The Biden administration decided not to enforce it, and as
a result, we now have a forty five billion dollar
trade deficit in our ag products we're trying to sort of.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Make up for right now.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I would have thought that OURFKA Junior had a real
problem with our wheat. I've heard him for years talking
about the glyco state used in pesticides and linking that
to non Hodgkins lymphoma. So it's interesting and I look
forward to seeing that the two of you together visiting farms.
Let's talk about the re calibration of trade. If you
(05:27):
lose say two billion from food aid programs, but gain
it in Vietnam, I know that you're headed there and
they want to buy two billion dollars more of our products,
that's I mean, that's fine, I guess, but it takes
time to do those things. So in the meantime, we've
seen soybean exports drop I think seventy nine percent below
(05:49):
the five year average. Corn exports drop forty nine percent.
Do you have to make that up with some sort
of farmer's subsidy program. In the first administration, President Trump
gave the armers twenty eight billion dollars. Is something similar
like that going to happen again this year.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, we remain really convicted that we're just at the
beginning of these renegotiations, that the market has reacted. But
at the end of the day, inflation is down, jobs
are up. We continue to see a positive sign specific
to soybean corn. Really are row croppers. That's really a
very direct result of China. And I know we're making
(06:27):
progress on China, will continue to make progress hopefully, but
if we don't opening up markets all over the world. Listen, EU,
for example, charges a ten percent tariff on average on
American products, and vice versa.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We only charge five percent. That's two x.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
The average tariff charge around the world is about fifteen
percent on American products, when we charge on average five percent,
We've been taken advantage of over and over and over again.
So as we are realigning, we're also opening up these
markets with the trade deal the UK just a couple
of weeks ago, with a massive deal twenty five years
we couldn't get a deal done with the UK, and
(07:04):
now all of a sudden we have the deal, and
that will be extremely beneficial for our corn farmers, our
soy farmers through ethanol, and our beef cattle, etc. So
you'll continue to see this moving forward. Now, if around
harvest time into the summer beginning of the fall, we
see some real economic harm with our farmers, our president
has been unequivocal, unequivocal in saying that he's got the
(07:28):
farmers back, and if there is short term consequences, we'll
make sure to do everything we can to mitigate that.
And I'm here to execute on the president's vision.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So yes, can I ask about ethanol specifically. I'm from
the great state of Ohio. I grew up surrounded by
corn farmers, and I have a lot of respect for
the work that those farmers do for our country, really
for our national security, and it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
But I'm also a.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Fan of the big American V eight motor and I
do not want to put ethanol based gasoline in my car.
I'll drive miles to get premium grade fuel. It doesn't
have any ethanol. What are you thinking about in terms
of the level of crop based biofuels that should go
(08:17):
into gasoline.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Well, I think the most important thing to realize is
that we've got an energy national security crisis and that
there are many different ways to solve that. And that's
what Doug Bergham and Chris Wright, two of my cabinet counterparts,
are really focused on the president. President Trump talking about
being unequivocal. He's been unequivocal in his support for ethanol
(08:40):
and biofuels, and it isn't just about America.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
And listen, this is the great thing.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
It's America where you can choose what you prefer and
what you want to put in your vehicle. But the
ethanol conversation that's happening.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Around the world.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You talk about the UK, which whether we agree or not,
I happen to not agree. But their goal is to
get to z right net zero, which again we could
have a whole other show on that, But in order
to get to net zero, they're going to need our
biofuels from America to do that. So it isn't just
about specific to what you're going to put in your
truck when you drive across Ohio, which.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
There may be some that disagree with that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What you just said, but it's also about where America
stands on the world stage. A, how we achieve energy independence,
but b how we continue to support our great farmers
and our ranchers. And food security is national security, and
I think that's really important. If we don't have a
strong agriculture sector, if we can't feed ourselves, we are
(09:36):
no longer the superpower in the world. And so all
of this it's a complicated sort of balance that we're striking,
that we're working to achieve. But with the President's vision
and I think with arguably one of the greatest cabinets
in the history of our country, we will achieve it
for the American people by putting America first.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
MS Secretary, thank you so much for your time, really appreciated.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rallins in Rome,
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
US Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins joins US now where she
is in Rome for meetings with Italian counterparts right now.
She posted on AX yesterday about her mission balancing trade
and putting American ag first.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
I'm pleased to get.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
The Secretary on a television with US, Brook Rowland, Secretary Rowlands,
thank you so much for joining us. Let me first
ask what you have achieved there in Rome, because, as
we know, exports to Europe and the UK have been
important but problematic. They have issues with genetically modified crops,
they have issues with the hormone that we use in
(00:46):
our beef, they have issues with the chlorine that we.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Use to wash our chickens.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So what can we do about those kind of non
trade barriers and what have you achieved there?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Well, thanks so much for having me on a couple
of quick top lines, and then we'll talk about that.
The first thing is this that the President's vision to
realign the world economy around putting America first was long coming.
For too long, America has been subject to a terra
regime of other countries, and now that's changing, and it's
changing for the better.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
For our country.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
So I think that's really really important from my perspective
for our farmers and our ranchers. The second thing I
think is important as being in Italy today, I was
in the UK just a couple of weeks ago. I'll
be in Vietnam, Japan and India next month. That it
is time that we move these products and continue to
work on the world stage. Last night, we had an
incredible day all day yesterday and last night with my
(01:39):
counterparts here in Italy, their Minister of Agriculture, Lolo Brigita,
who is wonderful. We talked about getting more of our soybeans,
more of our wheat, more of our great products from
America into Italy and of course across the EU. But
the third thing I'll say, and that is your point,
that this concept that American agriculture isn't safe for the
(02:00):
medically modified, you know, whatever it is, there are thousands,
thousands of research data compilations that prove that to be wrong.
Those are called non tariff trade barriers, and they are
absolutely not real.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
It's not based in science. And it's time that that change.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
And I know our trade team from America has been
working on that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
They continue to work on that.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
We've got more deals that will be or should be
announced in the next week or two, and that non
tariff part of that is a really important part. When
people say the chlorinated chicken, only five percent of our
chicken in America still uses that chlorine rinse, and even
if more used it, it's still considered safe according to
worldwide standards, not just American standards. Same on the GMOs,
(02:46):
same on the hormones, etc. So we feel very confident
we have the best product in the world and we're
going to keep moving it out.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Miss.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
The issues that you're raising seem to be some that
our own Health Secretary Rob F. Kennedy has with foods
the science clearly notwithstanding right, he has issues with chemical treatments.
He has issues with additives in some of our foods
that are very similar to those that the EU and
the UK have. Aren't you looking at changes along those
(03:19):
lines for US food standards as well?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Secretary Kennedy has been very clear that the American product
is safe and it is really the best. Now where
he comes in is can we do better? And I
think what everyone everywhere, in every product, every lane, it's
always about how do we do better.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
How do we do better? How do we ensure that
our products.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Are continually improving? And we're doing that, and that's where
he's coming down. But really, as part of the Make
America Healthy Again Commission, as the mom of four teenagers
a MAHA mom myself, it isn't just it's more about
the ultra processed foods. It's more about all of the
the other parts of the environment in America that are
making our population as more unhealthy.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Chronic disease, etc. Is at an all time high.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
But this has nothing to do with our soybeans, our wheat,
our beef, our seafood, all of the great products that
are coming from America. And Secretary Kennedy and I are
very close. We've talked about this at length. He's visited
farms with me in Texas. We have another couple of
farms we're going to be visiting in California in the
next month.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So we are sympatical on this. Now.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Do we agree on everything, No, but we agree on
most things. And I think that the American people under
President Trump's vision will be the ultimate beneficiary of that.
But also, as we are on the world stage continuing
to move our great farming and ranching products out there.
And I know your guest a minute ago talked about China. Listen,
we had a great deal with China in twenty nineteen.
(04:51):
The Biden administration decided not to enforce it, and as
a result, we now have a forty five billion dollar
trade deficit in our ag products we're trying to sort of.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Make up for right now.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I would have thought that OURFKA Junior had a real
problem with our wheat. I've heard him for years talking
about the glyco state used in pesticides and linking that
to non Hodgkins lymphoma. So it's interesting and I look
forward to seeing that the two of you together visiting farms.
Let's talk about the re calibration of trade. If you
(05:27):
lose say two billion from food aid programs, but gain
it in Vietnam, I know that you're headed there and
they want to buy two billion dollars more of our products,
that's I mean, that's fine, I guess, but it takes
time to do those things. So in the meantime, we've
seen soybean exports drop I think seventy nine percent below
(05:49):
the five year average. Corn exports drop forty nine percent.
Do you have to make that up with some sort
of farmer's subsidy program. In the first administration, President Trump
gave the armers twenty eight billion dollars. Is something similar
like that going to happen again this year.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, we remain really convicted that we're just at the
beginning of these renegotiations, that the market has reacted. But
at the end of the day, inflation is down, jobs
are up. We continue to see a positive sign specific
to soybean corn. Really are row croppers. That's really a
very direct result of China. And I know we're making
(06:27):
progress on China, will continue to make progress hopefully, but
if we don't opening up markets all over the world. Listen, EU,
for example, charges a ten percent tariff on average on
American products, and vice versa.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
We only charge five percent. That's two x.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
The average tariff charge around the world is about fifteen
percent on American products, when we charge on average five percent,
We've been taken advantage of over and over and over again.
So as we are realigning, we're also opening up these
markets with the trade deal the UK just a couple
of weeks ago, with a massive deal twenty five years
we couldn't get a deal done with the UK, and
(07:04):
now all of a sudden we have the deal, and
that will be extremely beneficial for our corn farmers, our
soy farmers through ethanol, and our beef cattle, etc. So
you'll continue to see this moving forward. Now, if around
harvest time into the summer beginning of the fall, we
see some real economic harm with our farmers, our president
has been unequivocal, unequivocal in saying that he's got the
(07:28):
farmers back, and if there is short term consequences, we'll
make sure to do everything we can to mitigate that.
And I'm here to execute on the president's vision.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So yes, can I ask about ethanol specifically. I'm from
the great state of Ohio. I grew up surrounded by
corn farmers, and I have a lot of respect for
the work that those farmers do for our country, really
for our national security, and it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
But I'm also a.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Fan of the big American V eight motor and I
do not want to put ethanol based gasoline in my car.
I'll drive miles to get premium grade fuel. It doesn't
have any ethanol. What are you thinking about in terms
of the level of crop based biofuels that should go
(08:17):
into gasoline.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Well, I think the most important thing to realize is
that we've got an energy national security crisis and that
there are many different ways to solve that. And that's
what Doug Bergham and Chris Wright, two of my cabinet counterparts,
are really focused on the president. President Trump talking about
being unequivocal. He's been unequivocal in his support for ethanol
(08:40):
and biofuels, and it isn't just about America.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
And listen, this is the great thing.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
It's America where you can choose what you prefer and
what you want to put in your vehicle. But the
ethanol conversation that's happening.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Around the world.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
You talk about the UK, which whether we agree or not,
I happen to not agree. But their goal is to
get to z right net zero, which again we could
have a whole other show on that, But in order
to get to net zero, they're going to need our
biofuels from America to do that. So it isn't just
about specific to what you're going to put in your
truck when you drive across Ohio, which.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
There may be some that disagree with that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What you just said, but it's also about where America
stands on the world stage. A, how we achieve energy independence,
but b how we continue to support our great farmers
and our ranchers. And food security is national security, and
I think that's really important. If we don't have a
strong agriculture sector, if we can't feed ourselves, we are
(09:36):
no longer the superpower in the world. And so all
of this it's a complicated sort of balance that we're striking,
that we're working to achieve. But with the President's vision
and I think with arguably one of the greatest cabinets
in the history of our country, we will achieve it
for the American people by putting America first.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
MS Secretary, thank you so much for your time, really appreciated.
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rallins in Rome,
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