The North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) has requested a meeting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary Steven Vaden.
On Jan. 21, 2026, while being interviewed publicly by The National Agricultural Law Center, Vaden responded to a question about Right to Repair by saying: “The answer to right to repair is clear and direct: This administration thinks farmers should be able to repair their own equipment and industry’s efforts to prevent them from doing so are illegal.”
The Bigger Picture:
The Trump administration recognizes the economic difficulties ag producers are facing. Vaden summarized the situation as farmer being squeezed from both sides — record low commodities prices and record high input costs – and that its reasonable the administration should ask uncomfortable questions of companies for whom farmers are their main costumers. The intent of the administration is to determine if the record high input costs are being driven by normal economics or if a legal remedy is needed in the form of anti-trust and unfair practices.
Vaden’s remarks come days after the Department of Justice publicly stated it will no longer pursue criminal charges against individuals or businesses that alter or circumventing emissions control systems on diesel vehicles.
Additionally, in November of 2025, the president issued a pardon to Troy Lake, an independent mechanic from Cheyenne Wyo.
The administration has prioritized reducing input costs for farmers and ranchers on one side of the ledger, while the President's tariff strategy is designed to secure fair and equal international markets through strengthened negotiating leverage on the other.
NAEDA looks forward to cooperating with the Department of Agriculture and the administration to ensure America’s producers are competing on an even and fair playing field where they, without question, will win.
NAEDA has requested a meeting with the USDA at the earliest opportunity to discuss how our members support producer self-repair through parts access, technical training, and diagnostic tools, and to address shared challenges like the industry-wide shortage of qualified technicians.
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