This week, President Donald Trump announced 10 percent tariffs on a further $200 billion in Chinese goods further escalating the existing trade war. Those are to take effect in early August. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says this latest battle with China compounds the tariff impacts on U.S. agriculture as Mexico’s tariffs on U.S. pork is already indirectly effecting U.S. beef.
He says President Trump may have a plan for bringing China and other countries to the table to solve this trade dispute but in the near term, the economic impact is deeply being felt by American Agriculture.
Woodall says NCBA is talking to the USTR, USDA and Commerce officials about finding a quick resolution to the tariff war.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office says it will hold public hearings August 20-23 on the products and goods it proposes to impose tariffs on. A final decision on those tariffs will be made after August 30. China has vowed to retaliate following this latest tariff announcement.
