(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says President Trump’s two-day trade trip to China last week should prove fruitful for Iowa farmers, as China’s agreed to buy at least 25-million metric tons of U-S soybeans in each of the following three years.
Grassley says, “On top of its soybean commitment, China will purchase at least 17-billion per year in ag products and will restore access to beef and poultry products.” Reports say China’s also agreed to buy U-S-made passenger jets from Boeing. The White House released some details of the trip on Sunday, but China has not confirmed any of the reported deals. Grassley says it’s a good starting point.
“We’ve got a commitment on soybeans for what China announced last year for three years in a row, they’re going to continue to do that,” Grassley says. “They made more commitments. It seems to me that those are pretty significant movements.”
President Trump says China’s leader will visit the U-S in September for further trade talks. China is Iowa’s 4th largest trading partner, behind Canada, Mexico and Japan. The Office of the U-S Trade Representative says Iowa exported 756-million dollars in goods, mostly agricultural, to China in 2025.
