U.S. agriculture is bracing for a new trade war under U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, but Reuters reports producers say they are “better prepared” this time than they were in 2016, when Trump was first elected. “China will remain a key market,” according to Jason Hafemeister, USDA Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Services.
“Even in the last couple of years we’ve recognized the potential for disruption in U.S.-China trade so a lot of our efforts have gone into diversifying our markets.” Trump is threatening new tariffs on Chinese imports, and China is likely to reciprocate. “I think it’s terribly naive of anyone to think that the election of Trump and the Republican party will be positive for agriculture,” said Jay O’Neil, a grain industry consultant and former economist at Kansas State University.
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