No orders from China: US farmers, desperate for trade deal, walk ‘tightrope’

American farmers are “walking a tightrope” between supporting US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and suffering serious financial losses in the absence of a highly anticipated US-China trade deal, according to a seasoned farmer from South Dakota, one of the country’s top agricultural states.

Mike McCranie, a soybean and corn producer, voiced support for Washington’s tariff policy “if it results in a long-term deal” but acknowledged it has hurt US farmers.

No Chinese orders have been placed this season, as reciprocal duties have priced US soybeans out of the market. China’s overall tariff rate on US soybeans reached 34 per cent in August, data from the American Soybean Association showed.

McCranie is among a growing number of voices in the US agriculture industry urging a swift US-China agreement to secure deals for their crops. The leaders of the two countries are scheduled to speak by phone on Friday, following a fourth round of trade talks in Spain just days ago.

The two sides are also finalising details for a state visit by Trump to Beijing, with large-scale purchases of American products, including soybeans, forming a significant part of the agreement, the Post previously learned.

“I’m very hopeful that they are able to iron out some sort of a trade deal … right now there’s a lot of pain in the market,” McCranie said.

“It’s kind of like walking a tightrope, because the American farmers supported the Trump administration.”

South China Morning Post