USDA official calls U.S.-China ag trade relationship “complicated” but essential

The administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service calls the U.S. trade relationship with China “complicated.”

Daniel Whitley says an export market with more than a billion people cannot be ignored.

“When you only have 8 billion in the world, you just can’t ignore them. But it’s a very complicated relationship (and) one that I think the administration has made it clear they’re going to hold (China) accountable for their policies and their actions. And we’re just hoping we can get into a relationship where we can sell, sell, sell.”

Whitley spoke during last week’s National Ethanol Conference in Orlando and said the administration is working to minimize dependence on China.

“We’re all around the world, we’re in Africa, we’re in the Middle East, of course we’re in Europe. Southeast Asia, I’ll probably end with this. I think southeast Asia represents some of the biggest opportunities for (the U.S. biofuels) industry in the world.”

He says that’s because countries like Vietnam and Indonesia are implementing biofuel blending standards.