Release: Thune, Rounds Urge President to Reopen U.S. Soybean Exports to China

Thune, Rounds Urge President to Reopen U.S. Soybean Exports to China

“We appreciate your efforts to address China’s unfair trade practices, but our soybean producers cannot continue to bear the brunt of China’s retaliatory tariffs, especially considering the current weak agricultural economy.” 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today, ahead of President Trump’s trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the G20 Summit, urged the president to prioritize the restoring of U.S. soybean market access in China when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss trade and other issues.

“We appreciate your efforts to address China’s unfair trade practices, but our soybean producers cannot continue to bear the brunt of China’s retaliatory tariffs, especially considering the current weak agricultural economy,” the senators wrote. “As you continue working to reach a trade agreement with China, we respectfully request that you make restoring U.S. soybean market access in China a top priority.”

South Dakota is expected to produce 275 million bushels of soybeans this year, and two-thirds of that production is typically exported to China. This year, however, U.S. soybean exports to China have nearly ground to a halt.

Full text of the letter below:

The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W
Washington, DC  20500

Dear President Trump:

As senators representing a state with significant soybean production, we write to request that you actively pursue reopening U.S. soybean exports to China during your upcoming meeting with President Xi Jinping.

U.S. soybean producers have spent decades establishing and expanding market access in China.  In 2017, China was the top market for U.S. soybean exports, with approximately 30 percent of the soybeans harvested in the United States exported to China.

As you know, U.S. soybean exports to China nearly ceased after China imposed retaliatory tariffs on our soybeans in July.  China then began utilizing U.S. global competitors to supply its protein needs.  If the United States continues to lose this critical market, there is a diminishing chance it will be fully regained, which will result in long-term reduced soybean prices for U.S. producers.

We appreciate your efforts to address China’s unfair trade practices, but our soybean producers cannot continue to bear the brunt of China’s retaliatory tariffs, especially considering the current weak agricultural economy.  As you continue working to reach a trade agreement with China, we respectfully request that you make restoring U.S. soybean market access in China a top priority.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.  We look forward to continuing to work with you to expand market access for U.S. agricultural exports.

Sincerely,

###

24 thoughts on “Release: Thune, Rounds Urge President to Reopen U.S. Soybean Exports to China”

  1. Subtle? Subtle, flower, language? This a POTUS who tweets crude government policy while sitting on the porcelain throne at 5:00 a.m., and you think a ‘please sir, may I have some more?’ letter is going to work? At the behest of South Dakota’s soybean growers I would trash this letter and start over. “Mr. President, Hey! You! Jabroni! Stop acting like a mook, and get those soybean markets open again, or your 2020 election prospects are going to take a dirt nap.”

    Seriously, come on John, come on Mike, you know better, and South Dakota expects more.

  2. In light of recent findings that this president conspired with a hostile power to hack an election and then cover it up why do these two South Dakota Republicans believe any action other than supporting Democratic efforts to unseat him and his vice-president is in the best interests of South Dakotans?

    1. Ah, a mindless liberal who believes everything they hear on CNN. I’m moving on to a post by someone with a brain.

  3. Trumpy is gonna be in a world of hurt with Cohen flipping and now Burke being raided. A wimpy letter from a couple of senators from a flyover state will carry exactly zero weight, when hes trying to avoid being impeached and/or charged with crimes. The witch hunt is finding lots of witches.

  4. By the way, Rounds and Thune, you had your chance to support a better candidate but you put party over country and now your constituents are suffering. Too little too late.

  5. Anonymous: “
    In light of recent findings that this president conspired with a hostile power to hack an election”

    You are a liar. There is absolutely no finding. And, certainly less than Hillary’s collusion with Russia. You are projecting the sins of your crook. But, still at your core, you are a liar. No wonder you are anonymous.

  6. Listen, billions of dollars are flowing into this country now because of these tariffs. Globally our trade deficits are widening but I would argue those are alternative facts. Rounds and thune own this low iq president. If it’s worth it for the courts and corporate tax cut, so be it.

      1. I’m just one soybean farmer but I have a lot of soy farmer friends who agree with what Trump is doing. It sucks what is happening to prices but it’s not just tariffs. If we don’t stand up to China and quit bending over for them they will own us all. They are not fair players and will lie, cheat and steal to get ahead. They know Ag is the biggest casualty which is also a big area of support for Trump. If we fold now it will have been all for nothing and the next president will be owned by corporations who care more about profits than what’s best for this country. This is not to say that we can’t close the book on some things and keep negotiations going on others. Of course I hope commodities is the former.

  7. Not going to happen until China caves or 2020 election cycle changes the current status quo. Our Senators can virtue signal all they want to keep the base happy, but this is how things will likely be for a while. Best hunker in for the long haul.

  8. The soybean market is almost officially gone. Too bad for the farmers. Trump is running the country like a majority of his businesses, failures going towards bankruptcy.

    1. Oh really? You obvioulsy do not pay attention to what is really going on in this economy. Trump is turning this country around thanks to his business strategies. Stop listening to your propoganda news and open your eyes. And to touch on the soybean farmers, take a note from the guy who posted above. Yeah, it sucks the market is as low as it is, but we cannot let china or any other country for that matter continue their unfair crooked dealings with tariffs or anything else. Standing up for our country isnt going to be an easy road, but I guarantee it will pay off in the end. I bet those of you on this thread that are slamming the president have no real understanding of the ag community to begin with. Or business for that matter.

  9. You want metrics:

    Black share of Household income was lower at end of 2016 than it was in 2012. But the white folk were going up, albiet at the smallest post recession/depression rate in history.

    With Trump, not only is Household income for all exploding at post-war record pace, Blacks and Hispanics are going up faster than the white folk.

    I know there are a lot of things to debate about Trump. But, what is not debatable is the economic condition of Blacks and Hispanics is better than it has been since the 1950’s and the prospects even look better.

    1. So you believe the idiot Obama? Could you put an identifier by your Anonymous name so I can just bypass anything you post; I lose brain cells every time I read something from an Obama support,.

  10. I don’t blame you for remaining anonymous. I would avoid critical attribution too if I said such uninformed things.

    “Income has been increasing consistently since 2015.” True, but anemicly and mostly for white folks until 2017.

    “It takes a year for any presidential changes to take effect.” Said no one ever. You really need to familiar yourself with Keynes animal spirits, his view on the prospect of cost reduction, regulatory relief and tax cuts on growth, and positive consumer confidence. The Trump effect began the Obamas walked out the door.

    At the end of the day, a regression to the Obama path is bad economically for Blacks, Hispanics and single women.

    Why are you so openly racist and misogynistic? Is that why you remain anonymous?

    1. Now, Troy: using the Democrats’ tactic of calling someone racist or misogynistic because they have a different viewpoint? I like it!!

      1. Actually, it is more than viewpoint. They desire RESULTS which is bad for Blacks, single women, and Hispanics. This guy is eerily similar to the KKK and others of their ilk.

  11. Dan Andersen is that you? Cause whoever you are sure has a infatuation with Trump and the “pussy” comment.

  12. Nothing stops you from posting with your real name. You won’t because you know you can’t stand by what you say. Liars & racist misogynists like the darkness. It is what makes your views easy to ignore- They are grounded in lies and bigotry.

  13. Every load of soybeans that leaves the state without having been turned into something else First is money lost. The problem isn’t that we don’t have foreign markets for these raw products, it’s that we don’t have enough processing plants here in the state

  14. The news footage of corn rotting/fermenting on the ground because soybeans are filling the silos irritates me.
    That corn should be turned into bacon and bourbon. What a waste!

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