A lot of uncertainty remains in the industry currently, about how agriculture will fare in the near future with the Trump Administration’s aggressive trade stance as talk of tariffs with the Chinese and other countries as well continues to progress. Kent Bacus of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s DC office, told Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, the President’s actions on trade really should not be a surprise to anyone who has followed his comments made stretching all the back to his campaign when he was then just a candidate seeking election.
“This is not something that is a big surprise to a lot of people,” Bacus said. “The administration has been very consistent in the fact that they are going to move forward with these trade actions. When you look at the Chinese specifically, obviously we were very excited about getting back into that market. But China has said they are going to look at a wide array of different items of importance and significance economically to their market. So, we don’t really know if beef is going to be on that list.”
Pork on the other hand, is known to be on the list. Bacus says as talks move forward, NCBA will closely monitor whether or not beef becomes a direct target for retaliatory tariffs by the Chinese. But if it is or not, beef will still be impacted as collateral damage from other ag commodities that incur sanctions. Nonetheless, Bacus insists that the White House should have a chance to work its strategy.
“If pork has a restriction, it would be naïve to think that beef would not be impacted as well. Anytime you have disruption in our ability to send products to consumers, whether it’s beef or any other ag commodities, that has an impact on everyone else,” he remarked. “The administration has a plan on how they’re going to move forward with this and we’re going to give them the opportunity to do that - and hopefully improve market access overall for US agriculture.”
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