Last week, several major news outlets reporting that during recent trade talks in Beijing, China proposed to buy roughly $70 billion worth of U.S. ag and energy products if the United States lifts its proposed tariffs.
However, some in the administration say that number is flawed.
“I have no idea where that number [possibly $70 billion to $100 billion] came from,” said U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) chief ag negotiator, Gregg Doud.
“That is not a number which has any type of relationship to any kind of conversation that I’ve had. I was the one along with my counter-part Under Secretary [of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs] Ted McKinney.”
AgDay national reporter Betsy Jibben asked, “Is there a number and a list?”
“I think there has been a conversation about that but that $70 billion number is beyond any overall number.”
Doud visited Beijing with the U.S. team earlier in the month to discuss trade issues with China. Doud says there are structural sanitary and phytosanitary policy issues that need to be addressed before the U.S. can export significantly higher amounts of ag products to China.
Jibben talks with Ambassador Doud at the World Pork Expo on AgDay above as well.
