US Popcorn Farmers Enjoy Record Exports to Russia, China

By Nikolai Ivanovich  |  BwB International

MOSCOW / BEIJING / SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDWEST — While American farmers across the heartland continue to struggle under the Trump administration’s tariff-heavy trade policies, one unexpected agricultural sector is reportedly thriving: popcorn.

According to industry sources, popcorn exports have exploded in recent months, with unusually large and recurring orders pouring in from Russia and China, leaving many U.S. farmers stunned—and oddly optimistic.

“Look, my soybean farm is basically a museum now,” said one Iowa farmer, staring quietly at a field of regret. “But these popcorn contracts? I haven’t seen numbers like this since the last time America had a functional foreign policy.”

Wheat farmers, grain farmers, and soybean producers have reported widespread financial stress, with bankruptcies continuing to rise. But popcorn growers say they’ve suddenly become one of the few winners in the modern American economy.

Experts admit they can’t fully explain the demand surge.  “It’s hard to say exactly what’s driving this,” said one trade analyst. “But the timing is interesting. And so is the fact that CNN International viewership has spiked dramatically in both Russia and China.”

Sources inside the Kremlin and Beijing confirmed that leadership in both countries has been “closely monitoring American news developments,” though they declined to comment on whether those developments were being watched with “serious concern” or “with a massive bowl of buttery popcorn.”

Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the news is “not all bad,” adding that while many American industries are collapsing, “at least a few people are doing great under Trump, which is basically the whole economic plan.”