暗黑爆料

It looks like President Trump鈥檚 partial trade deal with China won鈥檛 bring in the promised $40 billion or so worth of agricultural trade for the U.S. this year. 

Robert Johansson, chief economist for Department of Agriculture, expects the actual number will be closer to $14 billion 鈥� an increase of about $4 billion from a year ago. 

In a speech at the agency鈥檚 annual outlook forum, he said the coronavirus known as COVID-19 is .

鈥淕lobally we鈥檝e observed significant disruptions in shipping and supply chains,鈥� Johansson said. 鈥淲e would expect less spending by Chinese consumers, particularly in the first quarter.鈥�

Johannson said this will affect China鈥檚 ability to purchase expensive products such as meat. This could hurt pork producers in the Mountain West because Chinese consumers eat a lot of American pork. Johansson predicted the country will rebound in the coming months. 

Uncertainty in global markets and a disparity in how China and America count their fiscal years has also contributed to the lower trade prediction. When President Trump signed a partial trade deal with China in January, the Chinese government agreed to purchase between $40 and $50 billion worth of American agricultural goods. 

IF OUR FORMALLY TARGETED FARMERS NEED ADDITIONAL AID UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE TRADE DEALS WITH CHINA, MEXICO, CANADA AND OTHERS FULLY KICK IN, THAT AID WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PAID FOR OUT OF THE MASSIVE TARIFF MONEY COMING INTO THE USA!鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

On Twitter over the weekend, Trump appeared to signal that more financial assistance was on the way for U.S. farmers and ranchers in light of the new trade prediction. 

This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUER in Salt Lake City, KUNR in Nevada, the O鈥機onnor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado. Follow Nate Hegyi on Twitter .

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