The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is urging U-S and Chinese officials to “get back to the table” and try to resolve issues that have led to the developing trade war between the two countries. I-S-A president Bill Shipley of Nodaway.  “It’s not good for us, it’s not good for them– nobody wins — especially when China is using food as a weapon in a trade war,” Shipley says. “That’s not a good thing in my opinion. China is taking feed away from their own people.”

Shipley says they’re disappointed the trade dispute has reached this point. But he says I-S-A is still supportive of President Donald Trump’s efforts to rectify trade issues with China. He says the Chinese had dropped the U-S from being their primary supplier of soybeans since 2009 from 51 percent to 37 percent and he says it would help the trade deficit if they moved the U-S back to being their top soybean supplier.

Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart estimates Iowa soybean farmers stand to lose up to 624 million dollars because of higher tariffs implemented by China.

(Radio Iowa)