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Farmer says COVID throws monkey wrench into China trade

A Missouri farmer says he’s concerned that the U.S. blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic will cause more problems with ag trade. Warren Stemme says there HAS been some phase-one trade progress but it’s slow. He tells Brownfield Ag News, “Will there be repercussions with China saying, ‘Ok, we started buying some of your beans but now we’re not going to buy anymore for a while.’ Who knows where that’s going to go. I don’t know when we’ll see the fallout from the whole COVID thing.”

Trump administration officials insist China will fulfill its phase-one obligations while Trump says there are no talks planned with China for a phase two.

China has threatened retaliation against the U.S. for potentially sanctioning China over its new security law in Hong Kong and ending Hong Kong’s preferential trade status with the U.S.

Stemme grows corn, soybeans and wheat in St. Louis County, Missouri.