US Senator: American Farmers Affected by Trade War Need Government Subsidies

According to a report by U.S. news network Axios, U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Republican John Thune stated on the 28th local time that due to the impact of the trade war, U.S. crop exports are sluggish, and a significant portion of tariff revenue may be used to provide assistance to farmers.

"Corn and soybeans in South Dakota are about to have a bumper harvest, but there is no market to sell these crops," Thune said, adding that the Senate Agriculture Committee, on which he serves, is already looking for potential solutions to support farmers.

According to a report by U.S. political news network Politico on the 28th local time, the American Soybean Association stated that China has not purchased any U.S. soybeans since May this year, instead turning to soybean suppliers in Brazil and Argentina, which has left U.S. soybean farmers in difficulty and panic.

The report stated that this "dramatic shift" is identical to the situation during Trump's first term. At that time, U.S. soybean exports to China plummeted from $14 billion in 2016 to $3.1 billion in 2018.

Furthermore, according to a report by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently stated, "Soybean, corn, wheat, sorghum, and cotton growers are facing very difficult times. Currently, the White House and various government departments are discussing a farmer assistance plan." U.S. President Donald Trump also recently expressed his hope to "give" part of the funds obtained from tariffs "to farmers." However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not yet announced specific plans.

Regarding issues related to soybean trade, He Yadong, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, stated on the 25th that the U.S. should take positive actions to cancel the relevant unreasonable tariffs to create conditions for expanding bilateral trade.