China’s Ministry of Commerce is increasing their tariffs and countervailing duties on United States dried distillers grains, as a result of their anti-dumping, anti-subsidy case against the U.S. The tariffs will be set at 53 to 66-percent for five years. U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Tom Sleight says the action by China follows preliminary duties they put on a year ago on DDG’s from the U.S.

He says this latest action by the Chinese has a significant impact on U.S. agriculture and needs to be resolved.

Sleight says the U.S. Grains Council is already seeking alternative markets for DDGs and will negotiate with the Chinese government to get them to lift these trade barriers.

Sleight says China is an important market for many U.S. agricultural commodities and these types of moves by their government to restrict access will ultimately hurt their own feed and livestock industries.