Some in agriculture fear a trade deal with China will leave farm trade worse off than before the trade war began. 

Bloomberg News reports that some farmers are unnerved by Trump’s enthusiasm for tariffs and his tendency to pick industry winners and losers. 

 

Mark Powers, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council, says tariffs are expected to remain on cherries this year, adding the retaliatory tariffs costs Northwest cherry growers $96 million last year, as sales dropped 41 percent. 

 

President Trump has previously said of the negotiations that tariffs on China would be lasting “a substantial period of time” after an agreement is entered. 

Agriculture groups fear that would allow China to continue retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products. 

 

However, Jim Sutter of the U.S. Soybean Export Council told Bloomberg it doesn’t seem likely the tariffs would continue, stating he “would be surprised if the Chinese found that an acceptable solution.” 

Talks between the U.S. and China continue as the Trump administration seeks to wrap up an agreement soon.