ARLINGTON, VA – U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) commends the Trump Administration on the announcement of framework agreements on trade with Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Argentina. The deals seek to provide preferential access for some U.S. agricultural products, including wheat, and strengthen cooperation on science-based decision-making and non-tariff trade barriers.
“We welcome the efforts of the Trump Administration to expand agricultural trade with Latin America,” said Mike Spier, USW president and CEO. “We are particularly heartened by the Trump administration’s assertion that access will be on preferential terms. In particular, we look to our partners in the U.S. government to finalize the details of preferential access for U.S. wheat into Ecuador on a permanent and preferential basis.”
Ecuador represents a growing market with a rapidly rising need for wheat driven by both human consumption and a burgeoning animal feed industry. In the 2024/25 marketing year, Ecuador more than quadrupled imports of U.S. wheat year-over-year to more than 380,000 metric tons (nearly 14 million bushels), including U.S. hard red winter (HRW), soft white (SW) and soft red winter (SRW) wheat. As of September 25, 2025, Ecuador has purchased 357,000 MT (13.1 million bushels) of U.S. wheat.
El Salvador and Guatemala are also meaningful markets. U.S. wheat is well-positioned to serve these markets due to close proximity, but sales can be limited by aggressive competition from suppliers like Canada and Russia. While these markets are already duty free for all origins, continued cooperation on non-tariff barriers can benefit both U.S. producers and end-use customers who seek high-quality wheat supplies with consistent milling and baking performance.
“USW remains committed to supporting trade deals structured to provide meaningful and preferential access for U.S. wheat exports,” Spier said. “As we observe the implementation of previous trade deals, market access gains for U.S. agricultural exports have, in certain instances, been followed shortly thereafter with similar access being granted to our competitors – diminishing the full returns realized by U.S. farmers.”
Argentina is a competing wheat supplier in the global marketplace, accounting for seven percent of world wheat exports in the last marketing year. Still, Argentina is an important partner for defending open markets and international standards at fora like the World Trade Organization, especially on issues related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations.
“While Argentina is our competitor for selling wheat, they are a partner in communicating the importance of upholding farmer access to technological innovations and opposing regulatory barriers lacking sufficient scientific justification,” Spier said. “USW applauds the focus on non-tariff barriers across all four of these markets, including an emphasis on science-based decision-making. We look forward to continued conversations and collaboration with our customers and the U.S. government to lock in sustained market opportunities for U.S. wheat farmers.”