Overview
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CBS that he sold his North Dakota soybean farm last week to satisfy his ethics agreement.
- The move came after an Aug. 11 Office of Government Ethics letter flagged incomplete compliance and just ahead of a reported Dec. 15 divestiture deadline following missed targets.
- The New York Times previously reported his family partnership’s North Dakota farmland was valued at up to $25 million and produced as much as about $1 million annually in rent.
- Bessent cited a U.S.–China commitment for roughly 12–12.5 million metric tons of soybean purchases, saying prices are up about 12–15% and that China is meeting its obligations, with futures near yearly highs.
- USDA plans short‑term “bridge” payments for farmers, though size and conditions remain unclear, and AP reports Bessent is expected to join a White House announcement Monday of a $12 billion aid package.