Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he’s placing $60 billion of tariffs on imported Chinese goods. China has fired back with retaliation in two stages: First, slapping a 15-percent tariff on 120 products worth $977 million and later the higher 25-percent tariff on $1.99 billion of pork and aluminum. The U.S. agricultural industry has been concerned about a trade war with China. Nebraska Pork Producers Association Executive Director Al Juhnke says China is an important customer for U.S. pork and these tariffs will be costly.
He says America’s pork producers are highly dependent on exports so any trade disruption directly impacts their bottom line.
Junke says the National Pork Producers Council will press the President to change his stance and will be speaking to Congress about the trade implications.
The President says he’s imposing the tariffs due to China’s pattern of stealing intellectual property and robbing U.S. companies of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue.
South Dakota Corn Growers Association President Troy Knecht says they’re also greatly disappointed by the President’s decision. He says it was almost certain to provoke China into retaliating against U.S. agriculture and that will deal a serious blow to the U.S. corn industry.
