ARTICLE 96 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2026 GEOPOLITICS: RISKS REMAIN After the initial shock of the 2025 US trade policies, the markets seem to have stabilized. Do not be fooled by that, as geopolitical risks will remain significant and disruptions can flare up anytime. The question is no longer whether the US will use tariffs as a political tool, but to what extent, and what the knock-on effects of those tariffs will be. A challenge to the so-called “reciprocal" tariffs on goods from individual countries and for levies imposed on China, Canada and Mexico tied to the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in late 2025, and a decision is expected in early 2026. Watch especially for the impact of the US – China trade relation on soy- and pork exports from the US, and its implications for global markets. The current trade agreement will expire in the second half of 2026 and, combined with the US midterm elections coming up in November, this may be enough motivation for the current US administration to reach a deal with China. As animal protein and nutrition markets move into 2026, slowing production growth, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving cost structures are reshaping global supply chains. From feed economics and trade policy to disease risk, sustainability, and consolidation, the year ahead will demand greater agility and strategic focus. Hamlet Protein CEO Erik Visser outlines the key forces expected to define 2026 and their implications for animal protein and animal nutrition markets worldwide. WHAT WILL DEFINE 2026 FOR ANIMAL PROTEIN AND NUTRITION MARKETS?
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==