CAPTS Director Highlights Global Market Pressures at NDSU Ag Economics Luncheon

The NDSU Agribusiness & Applied Economics Department Supporter Luncheon, held November 14 at Barry Hall, brought together alumni, partners, and faculty for a discussion on issues shaping the future of U.S. agriculture. As part of the program, CAPTS Director Dr. Sandro Steinbach participated as a featured panelist in “From Fields to Futures: What’s Driving Today’s Ag Commodity Markets?”, contributing trade and policy perspectives central to today’s market outlook.

During the discussion, Dr. Steinbach emphasized that strained trade relations with China now affect a broader set of commodities beyond soybeans, corn, and wheat, extending into crops such as nuts, pistachios, and almonds. He noted that reduced Chinese purchases, logistical bottlenecks, and the loss of key markets are shifting U.S. trade flows, creating new challenges for producers across the value chain.

Addressing a question about currency strategy, Dr. Steinbach underscored that the United States should not seek export competitiveness through currency devaluation, but instead by strengthening trade relationships and delivering high-value agricultural products, a principle aligned with long-run market stability and U.S. leadership in global trade.

Dr. Steinbach’s participation reflects CAPTS’s ongoing commitment to providing research-based insight on agricultural trade, market structure, and policy challenges affecting producers and industry partners.

CAPTS continues to support conversations and outreach that connect academic expertise with the key issues facing North Dakota and U.S. agriculture.