May 12, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode released a statement following news of American and Chinese negotiators agreeing to a 90-day tariff reduction.

“Lower tariffs are a good thing for American agriculture. U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agricultural manufacturers lead the world in productivity and efficiency, and allowing consumers around the world to access will result in mutually beneficial outcomes for domestic and overseas economies. We commend the Trump administration for its work to address trade obstacles around the world and look forward to additional progress that improves market access for American agriculture. Lowering tariffs and eliminating non-tariff barriers will offer positive signals to a farm economy that is in serious need of good news.”

The United States is a net importer of refined corn products from China. In 2024, the United States exported about $160 million in refined corn products, over half of which was polylactic acid and modified starches. Meanwhile, the United States imported more than $545 million worth of refined corn products from China, including significant volumes of lysine, threonine, corn sweeteners, and modified starches. China is the fifth-largest export market for U.S. refined corn products, behind Mexico, Canada, the EU, and Japan.   

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The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, starch, advanced bioproducts, corn oil and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein and fiber.