Bloomberg’s Skylar Woodhouse reported that “President Donald Trump pressured farm-equipment manufacturers to drop prices for tractors as he announced $12 billion in farmer relief, his latest efforts to address Americans’ concerns about shaky economic conditions under his leadership.”

“Trump said Monday that his administration would give companies such as Deere & Co. permission to ‘take off a lot of the environmental restrictions that they have on machinery,’ blaming them for driving up costs for farmers,” Woodhouse reported. “‘They’re going to have to reduce their prices because farming equipment has gotten too expensive, and a lot of the reason is because they put these environmental excesses on the equipment, which don’t do a damn thing except make it complicated,’ the president said.”

Bloomberg’s Michael Hirtzer reported that “farm machinery costs started surging around the COVID-19 supply-chain disruptions, while increasingly high-tech options such as satellite connectivity have also raised prices. Import tariffs on steel and aluminum have pushed up costs for U.S. manufacturers.”

Fox Business’ Eric Revell reported that “Trump said that the higher equipment costs stem from environmental regulations requiring the inclusion of more technology aimed at things like reducing emissions or conserving energy.”

“‘You buy it and it’s got so much equipment on it for the environment that doesn’t do anything, except it makes the equipment much more expensive and much more complicated to work, and it’s not as good as the old days,’ Trump said,” according to Revell’s reporting. “‘We’re going to take a lot of that nonsense off of the equipment… and we’re going to do it, and we’re going to say you’re going to reduce the prices,’ the president said. The president said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will work with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) on easing those environmental regulations on agricultural equipment manufacturers.”

DEF Potentially Under Fire?

AgWeb’s Tyne Morgan reported that “while Trump didn’t provide specifics on how the details of that plan will come together, Trump said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin would be involved in carrying out the effort. There’s speculation on if that will be removing diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) requirements on tractors or also addressing the long-standing right-to-repair issue.”

“Earlier this year, EPA announced guidance to change, not eliminate, DEF requirements, allowing for softer power loss in new trucks (from model year 2027) when DEF runs low, preventing sudden shutdowns and enabling software fixes for existing vehicles, easing burdens on truckers and farmers,” Morgan reported. “This guidance removed what EPA called ‘red tape,’ allowing manufacturers to develop less disruptive fixes for performance issues caused by emissions systems, though it doesn’t legalize ‘deleting’ emissions equipment.”

“While Trump didn’t outline exactly what EPA plans to roll back, he hinted toward DEF being the target. Farm Journal reached out to EPA for clarification and comment, and EPA’s press secretary confirmed rolling back DEF requirements is the target for this administration,” Morgan reported.

John Deere Reaction

Revell reported that “John Deere responded to an inquiry about the president’s comments and told FOX Business that the company is ‘proud to serve and stand with our strong and resilient customers.’”

“‘John Deere shares the Administration’s focus on reducing costs for our nation’s agricultural producers and consumers. We are doing all we can to help U.S. farmers reduce input costs,’ the company said,” according to Revell’s reporting. “…John Deere added that it stands ready to continue to work with the Trump administration and Congress to ‘advance policies that support the rural economy through challenging cycles.’”

Hat’s off to those who feed and fuel America pic.twitter.com/UWBvmAus20

— John Deere USA (@JohnDeere) December 8, 2025

Fox Business’ Kristen Altus reported that “John Deere’s top finance chief pushed back gently on President Trump’s claim that regulations alone are driving up tractor prices, saying the true path to lowering costs for America’s farmers lies in cutting-edge tech — from AI weed detection to digitized acres — that can save growers money long before the rule books change.”

“‘There’s plenty of opportunity to continue to support our farmer customers and to make them more profitable and support them in many ways, whether that’s through technology that can help them save on their inputs or improve their yields, as well as some of the regulations that they face,’ CFO Josh Jepsen said in an exclusive interview on ‘The Claman Countdown’ Monday,” Altus reported. “‘The ability to help farmers do more with less is critical.’”