Wendong Zhang, assistant professor, was interviewed for a March 6th Ottumwa Courier story by Aaryn Frazier on trade retaliation concerns resulting from soybean tariffs.
“Kind of unfortunate but interesting timing,” said Zhang. “This week China essentially changed their constitution to remove the two-term limit for the Chinese president.”
The change brought a power play, according to Zhang. He said the Chinese government has a diverse range of trading partners to have the opportunity to shop for the best prices. Due to this, America’s share of trade with China is declining.
“I don’t expect a major disruption or to suddenly announce a stop to exports,” Zhang said. “But I do think it’s moments like this that show how agriculture heavily relies on trade and is highly competitive in the global market.”