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Portman: ag industry must remain patient with trade negotiations
Senator
Rob Portman says the agriculture industry must remain patient when it comes to a
trade deal with China.
He
says low commodity prices are a concern, but he thinks the two countries are
close to a deal.
“When you get the cost down to below $4 and $9 for corn and soybeans you begin to wonder,” he says. “To get those prices back up we need to get back into the markets we had before in China particularly.”
Portman
says he spoke with the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer recently and
progress is being made.
“My
hope is when we’re talking a month from now we’ll be able to say we’ve seen an
opening in the markets,” he says.
He says a trade deal with China is especially important to the state of Ohio as one out of every three rows of soybeans planted goes to China.
Portman also spoke to Ohio Farm Bureau members about water quality, the farm bill, and climate change during the Ohio Farm Bureau County Presidents’ Trip in D.C. this week.
Audio: Ohio Senator Rob Portman
