I don’t think anyone in agriculture is saying that Chinese theft of American intellectual property doesn’t need to be dealt with. It does. But America isn’t the only country China is doing this to. So, why do we have to do this whole back-and-forth trade tariff threat thing all by ourselves? This is going to fall right on the backs of American agriculture and Washington doesn’t seem to realize how much of the fabric of the country would be destroyed by a long-term trade war? Here’s some reaction from various groups, including a podcast I put together on Friday afternoon.
Podcast:
U.S. Grains Council:
“The farmers and exporters we represent have been here before regarding China and they are well aware of what it’s like to deal with tariffs, counter-tariffs and policy restrictions. Since 2010, we have been adversely impacted by trade policy actions by China against U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), sorghum, ethanol and corn. China is a very important market for U.S. coarse grains and their co-products, but so too is the rest of the world. We will stay closely engaged with the China market and its importance to U.S. agriculture, but we will also redouble our efforts in the rest of the world to expand demand.
“We are concerned any tariff opens this market to our competitors and locking out U.S. products doesn’t mean trade stops – it means other partners will take our place. Bottom line: tariff battles are never productive.
American Soybean Association:
The American Soybean Association (ASA), on behalf of all U.S. soy growers, is disappointed in the Administration’s decision, which follows weeks of imploring the President and his team to find non-tariff solutions to address Chinese intellectual property theft and not place American farmers in harm’s way. ASA has twice requested a meeting with President Trump to discuss how increasing soy exports to China can be a part of the solution to the U.S. trade deficit without resorting to devastating tariffs.
Chinese government officials have announced that their response to Trump’s widespread trade tax on Chinese goods will be quick and certain, which is bad news for soybeans farmers. A study by Purdue University economists predicts that soybean exports to China could drop by as much as 65 percent if China imposes a retaliatory 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans.
National Farmers Union:
