Trump Announces $12 Billion Farm Relief and Regulatory Cuts

President Donald Trump hosted hundreds of farmers and ranchers for a "Celebration of Agriculture" at the White House on March 27, 2026, where he unveiled a series of economic relief measures and regulatory rollbacks. The centerpiece of the initiative is a $12 billion farm relief package to offset tariff impacts; while Trump claimed the funds came from tariff revenues, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins noted they were provided by the Commodity Credit Corporation.

To combat rising input costs driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war in Iran, the administration increased Small Business Administration loan guarantees for agricultural small businesses from 75% to 90%. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency altered guidelines for diesel exhaust fluid sensors, a move Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed would save farmers $4.4 billion annually. Trump also announced new renewable fuel standards for corn-based ethanol and tax cuts allowing farmers to deduct 100 percent of new equipment costs in the first year.

During the event, Trump pressured machinery manufacturers including Deere & Co, Caterpillar Inc, and CNH Industrial to lower equipment prices, leading to a decline in their shares. He also touted a trade deal with President Xi Jinping resulting in over $40 billion in soybean exports to China. The gathering featured honorary tractors, including a gold Fendt 1167 Vario from AGCO, which Trump admired while claiming he could not accept it as a gift due to restrictions that he alleged do not apply to Democrats.