A Larue County farmer who’s the president of the American Soybean Association said the Trump Administration’s trade war with China is a huge disadvantage with their largest export market. Caleb Ragland said last year, China purchased 52 percent of U.S. soybean exports.
“You see a field of soybeans, every fourth row is going to China currently, and when we put up a huge barrier to trade in tariffs that are well over 100 percent, we're not competitive on the world market, and they're gonna look for other places to buy soybeans.”
Ragland said he grows about 15-hundred acres of soybeans annually in an area his family has farmed since 1808. He said American farmers are already struggling due to inflation in the cost of production and a lack of strong trade the last few years. Ragland said he’s a Trump supporter and offered this advice:
“Let's negotiate a phase two trade deal, and let's make it where it's really good for American agriculture, for soybeans, we need that market. And China needs us.”
During the first Trump Administration, American farmers received a $23 billion bailout to make up for trade war losses. Administration officials and congressional Republicans say they’re considering a similar relief package now.
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