FTC and USDA ask farmers whether US tractor buyers get worse terms than foreigners

The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a joint public inquiry on October 7 into how farm equipment is sold and serviced, after what the agencies call a growing number of farmer complaints to USDA. Comments are due by December 7, 2026.

The press release speaks broadly of barriers to buying and maintaining equipment. The 13 questions in the actual request are more pointed: most are about dealer sales territories, and one asks how the terms manufacturers and dealers offer in the United States differ from what the same companies offer in other countries.

The questions are about where farmers can buy

The first block asks whether manufacturers impose territorial sales or service limits on dealers, and whether dealers agree among themselves to divide customers by territory. It asks what price, discount or penalty mechanisms apply when a farmer tries to buy from a dealer outside their assigned area, and how dealers track a customer's origin to decide who is eligible.

Other questions cover consolidation within dealer networks, any coordination on territory, pricing or dealer access, and whether access to repairs or parts is tied to buying a machine from a specific dealer.

The request does not name any company as the subject of these questions, and an RFI is not an accusation. The agencies say the answers will inform enforcement and regulatory priorities.

Retaliation gets its own section

Three questions deal with retaliation, against farmers and independent repair shops that opposed manufacturer or dealer policies, and against dealers and their employees for selling or servicing outside the rules. The document defines retaliation to include blacklisting, being denied equipment or parts, being deprioritized or getting worse commercial terms.

The agencies specifically invite current and former employees of manufacturers and dealers to respond. Comments go to Regulations.gov and become public, but the FTC also offers a route for confidential submissions by email to its Office of the Secretary, subject to review by its general counsel.

It follows the Deere repair settlement

The inquiry builds on two recent FTC farm cases. On July 8, 2026, the agency announced a settlement with Deere & Company requiring it to give farmers and independent repairers the same repair resources it gives its dealers, for 10 years. On September 28, it announced a settlement with Corteva over pesticide loyalty programs; the case against Syngenta continues.

The RFI also cites an executive order directing the FTC to examine whether anticompetitive conduct raises the cost of living, and an industry-wide FTC investigation into fertilizer prices opened in May 2026. What the agencies do with the territory answers will show whether repair was only the first front.