AG Secretary and Trade

AG Secretary and Trade

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

There hasn't been a lot of good news for ag producers on the trade front so far this year.

This week is another buys one for those involved in agricultural trade as China has announced a big duty on US Sorghum. Colorado is in the top 5 Sorghum producing states.

In recent years, sorghum's use in the ethanol market has seen tremendous growth, with approximately 40 percent of domestic sorghum going to ethanol production.

Ag Secretary Sonny Purdue says it China's actions are misguided.

Trade ministers from Canada and Mexico have been meeting with US counterparts in Washington this week and some have said not to expect any announcements to come out of these meeting.

Purdue told reporters in the Capitol there's still time to make something good happen.

Japan has been inviting the US to rejoin Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP with 11 nations around the Pacific Rim. China is not one of them.

President Trump tweeted a dismissal of the idea of rejoining the TPP, a trade pact that experts say is one way to take on China's unfair trade practices and improve America's economic role in Asia.

Trump instead was expected to push for a bilateral trade agreement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting this week.

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