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DES MOINES, Iowa – US agricultural groups are fed up with tariffs and lack of progress.
On Friday, China announced that it would impose an additional 5% tariff, in addition to the 25% duty imposed a year ago, on US soybeans as of September 1 and an additional 10% on other major American cultures from mid-December.
Earlier this week, China said it would react if the United States implemented its plan to increase tariffs on Chinese goods on Sept. 1.
Farm groups react
Davie Stephens, president of the American Soybean Association (ASA), says his organization has once called for, and repeats, to end tariffs on American soybeans.
"This escalation will not affect us because of the higher prices on our sales, which are practically stopped for months, but over time. The longevity of this situation means a worsening of the situation for soybean producers who still have unsold products from last season and new crops in the open this season, "Stephens said in a press release on Friday.
ASA wants the two countries involved in the trade war to find solutions.
"ASA would like both parties – China and the United States – to mobilize, end tariffs and find a solution that does not target trapped soybean producers. The real citizens – the Chinese citizens, the American public and our soy producers – are the ones who are feeling the effects of this trade war, "said the ASA leader.
<! – In the meantime, the US Federation of Agricultural Bureaus (AFBF) said the additional tariffs imposed by China meant additional hardships for US agriculture.
"China's announcement of additional US $ 75 billion in tariffs is another sign of hardship for US agriculture. Farm Bureau is evaluating the details of this announcement, but we know that the continuation of retaliation only adds to the difficulties faced by farmer families and pastoralists and farmers. that she's going the wrong way, "said AFB President Zippy Duvall.
In 2017, the United States exported $ 19.5 billion worth of agricultural products to China.
In 2018, US agricultural exports to China dropped to $ 9.1 billion, due to retaliatory tariffs.
"And exports had already shrunk by $ 1.3 billion in the first half of this year," said Duvall in a press release on Friday.
Duvall added, "Continued negotiations are the best way to restore certainty in the export markets on which farmers and ranchers depend. We need concrete trade agreements to ensure that US agriculture can provide an abundant and safe food supply for the growing population of the world's population. "
American Chamber of Commerce
Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce, says President Trump has the support of the chamber, but a more constructive approach is suggested.
"The American business community has long been denouncing the lack of progress in the fight against China's unfair trade practices, and the US House is on the front line of trying to address these issues through negotiations and encouraging measures. The 40-year-long trade relationship between our two countries has been very productive, constructive, and mutually beneficial, and US companies are ambassadors for positive change in the Chinese economy that continues. to benefit our two peoples, "said Brilliant in a press release Friday.
Brilliant added, "While we share the frustration of the President, we believe that continued and constructive engagement is the right way forward. Hurry up. We do not want to see a further deterioration of US-China relations. We urge the administration and the Chinese government to return to the negotiating table to finalize an agreement that addresses concerns about technology transfer practices, the enforcement of intellectual property rights, intellectual property rights, access to markets and the detrimental impact of China's domestic subsidies. "
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