🇺🇸🐄🌾 U.S. Farm Bankruptcies Increased 46% in 2025

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Samantha Ayoub reported that “the U.S. Courts report that 315 farm bankruptcies were filed in calendar year 2025, up 46% from 2024. While still down from recent highs, this is the second year in a row of increased filings.”

“The most recent farm income forecast confirmed that the farm economy has faced extreme financial pressure, with little relief in sight. Significant losses are expected across crop sectors for another year, and many livestock sectors are also tightening margins,” Ayoub reported. “The Midwest and Southeast each filed 121 and 105 Chapter 12 cases, respectively, far outpacing any other regions. This is a 70% increase in filings for the Midwest, and a 69% increase in the Southeast.”

🔗 https://www.agriculture.com/partners-u-s-farm-bankruptcies-increased-46-in-2025-11903416

🇺🇸❌🇲🇽🇨🇦 Trump Privately Weighs Quitting USMCA Trade Pact He Negotiated

The president has asked aides why he shouldn’t withdraw from the agreement, which he signed during his first term, though he has stopped short of flatly signaling that he will do so, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions.

A White House official, asked about the discussions, described Trump as the ultimate decision-maker and someone always seeking a better deal for the American people. Discussion about potential action amounted to baseless speculation before an announcement from the president, the official said.

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is set for a mandatory review before a possible extension on July 1, a process that was once expected to be routine but has transformed into a contentious negotiation. Trump has demanded additional trade concessions from Ottawa and Mexico City and pressured them to address unrelated issues, including migration, drug trafficking and defense.

Greer will recommend renewal if a resolution incorporating input from industry stakeholders can be achieved, the official said, noting stronger rules of origin for key industrial goods, enhanced collaboration on critical minerals, worker protections and dumping all as areas of possible concern.

If the countries agree to a renewal, the accord would remain in force for another 16 years. But if that doesn’t happen, it could trigger annual reviews for a decade until the deal’s expiration in 2036. Any country could announce their intent to withdraw with six-months notice.

Such a move would shake the foundations of one of the largest trading relationships in the world — the pact covers roughly $2 trillion in goods and services — and even the threat of a US departure would stoke uncertainty for investors and world leaders.

US business groups and lawmakers would almost certainly rebel. The prospect of higher tariffs would also threaten to exacerbate affordability concerns heading into November’s midterm elections, in which Trump’s Republicans already face an uphill battle to keep control of Congress.

🔗 https://archive.ph/fPglb

🇨🇳🇳🇱🇩🇰🇺🇸 China’s years-long retreat from US treasuries flags bigger risks

The slump in treasuries after China’s latest call to curb its holdings was fleeting, but it put a spotlight on Beijing’s decade-long shift from US debt and rekindled fears about a broader, global retreat.

For China, regulators have grown worried that large holdings of US government debt may expose banks to sharp swings. Officials advised financial institutions to limit purchases and instructed those with high exposure to pare down their positions, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

China’s record US$1.2 trillion (RM4.71 trillion) trade surplus is driving the buying spree. Instead of bringing the export earnings onshore, companies and banks have increased their purchases of overseas assets to capture higher returns.

Such large exposure to dollar assets would give pause to Chinese policymakers as the US and China have been locked in heightened geopolitical tensions, according to Stephen Jen, co-founder of London-based Eurizon SLJ Capital.

“The whole idea of lending to the government of your primary adversary should no longer be welcomed in Beijing,” he said.

China’s latest warning comes weeks after Trump’s threat of acquiring Greenland rattled markets anew in January.

That month, AkademikerPension, a US$25 billion Danish pension fund, announced it was exiting the US$100 million it had held in US treasuries, while Dutch fund Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP said it had reduced its holdings of treasuries by about €10 billion (RM46.69 billion) to €19 billion in the six months through September.

Outside Europe, India’s holdings have dropped to a five-year low as the nation pushed to support its currency and diversify reserves. Brazil’s long-term treasuries holdings have also declined.

“The broader trend is clear,” said Damien Loh, chief investment officer at Ericsenz Capital in Singapore. “Non-US entities, both sovereign and corporate, are moving to reduce their overweight positions in US assets, particularly treasuries.”

While foreign holdings of treasuries hit a record US$9.4 trillion in November, the share of the total debt is smaller — reflecting that their purchases haven’t kept up with the growth in US government borrowing. Overseas investors now hold about 31% of the total, compared to roughly 50% at the beginning of 2015.

🔗 https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/792643

🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇷 U.S. Navy Carrier snapshot.

Despite the U.S. Navy possessing 11 aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy can send only two carriers to CENTCOM for operations against Iran at a short notice:

🔶 the USS Gerald R. Ford, currently deployed in the Caribbean Sea

🔶 USS George Washington deployed at the US Navy base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

All other carriers are either undergoing maintenance or in the process of being retired.

USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest of the carriers, is set to retire this May after 50 years of service, which will put the number of active-duty carriers at 10

The US Navy should have received by now the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) but the carrier's construction was marked by delays which pushed its delivery date to March 2027.

@CIG_telegram

🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇷 USAF strategic transport flights to and from Europe and the Middle East in the last 24 hours.

6x C-5Ms
28x C-17As

🔗 Evergreen Intel

🇮🇷❌🇯🇴🇺🇸🇮🇱 Iranian medias published a video threatening to destroy Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base which was heavily fortified by the U.S. these past weeks with several MIM-104 "Patriot" and THAAD batteries, on top of the deployment of several F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets.

During the 12 Day War, Jordan shot down Iranian projectiles headed for Israel although Jordanian politicians have stated that they will not allow the use of their airspace by Israel or the U.S. to attack Iran.

6 USAF F35As took off from RAF Lakenheath earlier today and will in the coming hours at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.

@CIG_telegram

🇺🇸🇸🇾🇯🇴 The U.S.-led International Coalition has fully withdrawn from the Al-Tanf base on the Syria–Iraq–Jordan border, SOHR sources say, ending years of military presence.

🔗 Mintel World