THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2025 39 FAS Agricultural Economic Diplomacy in Action Agricultural exports account for more than 20 percent of American farm income, and the Foreign Agricultural Service keeps them growing. BY EVAN MANGINO Evan Mangino is a Foreign Service officer with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). He started with FAS as a summer intern in the Grain & Feed Division in 2006. He has since served as an agricultural attaché in Tokyo, Ottawa, and, most recently, San José. The views and opinions provided herein are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. government. On National Agriculture Day in March, President Donald Trump described farming as “the bedrock of our economy and way of life.” And as agricultural export sales contribute more than 20 percent of U.S. farm income, exports are essential to the economic viability of more than 1.9 million American farms. So, it came as no surprise that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called out the egregious tariff rates some of our closest allies levied against U.S. agricultural exports ahead of President Trump’s April 2, 2025, tariff announcement. Foreign markets generally apply much higher tariff rates on agricultural products than on nonagricultural products, and they generally charge much higher agricultural tariffs than the United States. When trade relations get “scratchy” between countries, agricultural products—including perishable, high-value products like fresh fruits and vegetables—are often the first point of retaliation. Food is intrinsic to national identity and culture, which are tied to the agricultural history of a place. Agriculture is often the economic foundation for rural populations, and, as so many of our immigrant ancestors understood firsthand, food security is national security. Given those reasons, it’s no wonder many countries turn trade protectionist about agricultural imports, which render U.S. agricultural exports incredibly important and yet quite vulnerable to disruption. FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY ART–ISTOCKPHOTO/HANSCHE
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