BRECKENRIDGE, MI – The Farmers for Free Trade “Motorcade for Trade” made a stop in Breckenridge, Michigan on Tuesday morning for a discussion on agricultural trade policy. The event at Michigan Agricultural Commodities Inc. brought together agriculture leaders and stakeholders to discuss the importance of international trade to Michigan’s agricultural economy amid mounting challenges from tariffs and shifting export markets.
The discussion featured Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Chuck Lippstreu, Executive Director of the Michigan Agribusiness Association; Robert Geers, Vice President of Michigan Agricultural Commodities; and Ally McKone, Farmers for Free Trade representative with the Motorcade for Trade. The conversation focused on trade’s importance to Michigan agriculture, with particular attention to soybeans and other key export commodities.
“A lot of work has gone into creating these established markets and so we certainly want to hang onto those. And we’re seeing on a global aspect here the erosion of that market potential,” said Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. “And firsthand here we’re seeing how China is now predominantly sourcing their soybean needs from other places in the world….and I think it does poise a longer term threat here to what the end point is on production.”
“The administrations are working through some trade challenges and other challenges. We’re certainly hopeful we can maintain that export market in Mexico long-term,” said Chuck Lippstreu, Executive Director of the Michigan Agribusiness Association. “It comes back to the need to make sure we’re prioritizing and focused on those very large existing markets alongside new development.”
“Certainty is really what our farmers are looking for,” said Robert Geers, Vice President of Michigan Agricultural Commodities. “Farmers across America are the foundation of values and responsibility and we need to make sure that we are providing that certainty so that they can continue to do what they do so that we can continue to eat.”
“We don’t operate in a vacuum,” said Brian Kuehl, Executive Director of Farmers for Free Trade. “This notion that if we just deal with short-term pain we’ll have long term gain I think is fundamentally flawed. If we don’t do this right we can lose markets forever.”
In conjunction with the Breckenridge event, Farmers for Free Trade released new state-specific data revealing the severe financial pressures facing Michigan agriculture.
READ THE FULL MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE TRADE SNAPSHOT HERE: https://farmersforfreetrade.
The comprehensive report, produced by Trade Partnership Worldwide, details how Michigan farmers and agricultural businesses paid over $5.2 billion in additional tariffs on essential farm inputs in just the first seven months of 2025:
$4.0 billion on vehicles and transportation costs
$1.2 billion on steel and building materials
$28 million on farm machinery and equipment
$870,000 on fertilizer and chemical inputs
At the same time, key export markets are declining sharply:
Soybean exports down 16%, driven by a 50% collapse in exports to China, Michigan’s top soybean market
Soybean oilcake exports down nearly 40%, due to a 44% drop in exports to Canada
While corn exports are up more than 50% and cheese exports increased nearly 45%, the data underscores both the critical importance of international markets to Michigan’s agricultural economy and the mounting threats from trade barriers and retaliatory measures.
The complete fact sheet with detailed export data and market analysis is available at: https://farmersforfreetrade.
The Motorcade for Trade is an 18-state, 2,800-mile tour across America’s agricultural heartland designed to amplify farmer voices calling for open markets and reduced trade barriers. The Breckenridge event marks the fifth stop on the campaign, which will conclude in early November with a press event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
This marks the second Motorcade for Trade campaign, following the successful 2019 tour that included 47 stops across the country in support of USMCA passage.
“Today’s discussion in Breckenridge highlighted how trade policy decisions in Washington have real consequences for agricultural communities across Michigan,” said Kuehl. “Maintaining and expanding market access is essential for the survival of Michigan agriculture.”
For more information about the Motorcade for Trade campaign, visit farmersforfreetrade.com or text “AgTrade” to 52886.
