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Grassley unsure about ag implications of U.S. boycotting Winter Olympics

There’s concern the U.S. diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics could result in Chinese sanctions on American ag products.

During his weekly call with ag reporters Tuesday, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said it’s very difficult to predict what China might do.

“I don’t know whether this will have any impact on agriculture. But the whole world including the United Nations has taken a position on humanitarian treatment of people around the world, and that certainly applies to the Uyghurs of northwest China.”

He suggests the U.S. needs to take a strong stand in defense of human rights.

“I don’t think any final decision’s been made, but maybe at this point it’s the same threat that Trump put in place in regard to negotiating trade.”

Grassley is referring to former President Trump imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on China that eventually lead to the Phase One trade deal.