President Trump announced Friday he has asked China to remove its tariffs on U.S. agricultural products.
“I have asked China to immediately remove all Tariffs on our agricultural products (including beef, pork, etc.) based on the fact that we are moving along nicely with Trade discussions….,” he tweeted. “….and I did not increase their second traunch of Tariffs to 25% on March 1st. This is very important for our great farmers – and me!”
….and I did not increase their second traunch of Tariffs to 25% on March 1st. This is very important for our great farmers – and me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2019
The announcement comes as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue revealed his department has given farmers $8 billion in aid since Trump took office to offset the impact of the tariffs, and just ahead of a Saturday deadline for the U.S. and China to resolve what has been a trade standoff.
The U.S. had placed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports along with $250 billion worth of Chinese goods, which China responded to with 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion worth of U.S. goods including soybeans, pork, and chicken, among other items. Trump had pledged to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods — to 20 percent, compared to 10 percent currently, if no deal was reached by March 2.
