Ag-state senators have asked to meet with President Trump on China’s trade retaliation against U.S. soybeans—a ‘hardball’ play that could put some U.S. producers out of business. Iowa’s Chuck Grassley says he and other GOP senators held a private meeting last week on China’s effective embargo of U.S. soybeans.
The Senator reports, “We told each other what we thought was a critical situation, similar to the 1980s with dropping land prices, increased interest rates, and low farm prices.” But unlike the eighties, Grassley recounted, something had to be done before 20-thousand farmers went out of business and others committed suicide.
“The results of that meeting were for us to request a meeting with the President of the United States at the White House. I hope it can happen next week, and tell the President to his face about the plight,” especially after soybeans didn’t come up in talks with China in Spain and here. Trump said in August that he hoped China would quadruple its soybean orders in talks with the U.S.
Get more news and market updates from Pro Farmer - subscribe for just $1/mo.
