Fourteen U.S. agricultural and tobacco-sector organizations sent joint letters to President Donald Trump, Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Secretary Scott Bessent thanking the Administration for expressing willingness to support flue-cured tobacco farmers who are facing severe trade disruptions.

The letters lay out urgent challenges: exports have fallen 20–25%, farm-gate prices have dropped 15–20%, and demand from key markets such as China has shrunk. Rising input costs are adding further financial pressure as growers make plans for 2026.

“On May 29th, China wrote to the U.S. leaf merchants that it would not honor its purchase as much as 60 million pounds of flue-cured leaf in 2025. This exit resulted in adverse impacts on prices and values as the season progressed. The surplus created a soft demand that caused a market downturn of 27 cents per pound on average.”

Although the Administration recently announced a $12 billion Farm Bridge Assistance Program, tobacco is currently excluded. The coalition urged targeted relief, noting that tobacco was included in market facilitation programs during the first Trump Administration. The groups warned of the risk to family farms and called for prompt inclusion of tobacco in relief measures.

Tobacco Associates circulated the letters to industry members and encouraged growers to contact local, state, and federal representatives to share personal experiences and the real impact of the downturn, stressing that those voices can influence policy decisions.

This article was adapted from an original report published on tobaccoreporter.com. All rights belong to the original publisher.