The American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association are pushing back against a petition filed by Monsanto Co. and its subsidiary, Ruveon LLC, seeking antidumping and countervailing duties on glyphosate imports from China.
The petition, filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, targets imports of glyphosate from the world’s largest producer and exporter of the herbicide. Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, is the only domestic manufacturer and supplier of glyphosate.
Farm groups say the move could raise costs for producers already facing tight margins and broader economic uncertainty.
Glyphosate remains one of the most widely used herbicides in U.S. row crop production, particularly in soybean and corn systems. Both organizations said access to affordable crop protection tools is essential to maintaining productivity and competitiveness.
The soybean association said growers depend on a stable and competitive supply of agricultural inputs and warned that import restrictions could reduce competition, trigger price increases and place additional financial pressure on farmers.
The corn growers association echoed those concerns, calling the petition part of a broader trend among agricultural input suppliers using trade remedy laws to limit competition and increase market control.
The filing comes amid heightened scrutiny over trade actions involving key crop inputs. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports for eight months. Those duties had been imposed following petitions from Mosaic Co. and J.R. Simplot.
ASA had opposed those phosphate fertilizer duties and is seeking their permanent removal. The group cited a Texas A&M University study estimating the phosphate duties cost growers $6.9 billion from 2021 through 2025.
Both organizations also pointed to similar action taken by Corteva Agriscience in 2024 involving imports of 2,4-D herbicide. ASA opposed the duties in court, while NCGA participated in the International Trade Commission review process, arguing the action would increase farmer costs. The commission ultimately ruled in favor of Corteva.
NCGA said the glyphosate petition is particularly notable given the organization’s history of supporting access to the herbicide. Earlier this year, corn growers joined other agricultural groups in filing an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Monsanto v. Durnell, which ended in Bayer’s favor. NCGA also challenged California’s Proposition 65 glyphosate labeling requirements, with a federal court ruling in 2023 preventing the herbicide from being labeled as a carcinogen in the state.
ASA said it is reviewing the new petitions and evaluating their implications for soybean growers. The group said it plans to continue engaging policymakers as the process moves forward.
Both organizations said they will continue advocating for science-based regulation, competitive markets and reliable supply chains to preserve farmer access to critical crop protection tools.
Sources:
American Soybean Association, "ASA Strongly Criticizes Glyphosate Trade Petition"
National Corn Growers Association, "NCGA Condemns Bayer Glyphosate Petition"