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Stakes are high as Trump and Xi prepare to meet

The upcoming meeting between President Trump and China’s president Xi has many in agriculture on edge.

The stakes are particularly high for soybean growers. Dave Walton, a farmer from Wilton, Iowa and a director on the Iowa Soybean Association board, expresses the sentiments of many farmers.

“I’d like to see President Trump and President Xi get in the room together and talk about the situation they’re both in—and then let the professional trade negotiators get back to work,” Walton says. “We haven’t seen a lot of progress on that front for quite a while, but I’m really hopeful that when those two meet we’ll see a de-escalation and progress towards the goal of resolving this trade issue.”

Trump, before departing this morning for Buenos Aires, said the two sides were “very close” to a trade deal, but added: “I don’t know if we want to do it. I’m open to making a deal, but frankly, I like the deal we have now.”