Trade Is Top Priority At U.S.-China Agricultural Dialogue

U.S. Grains Council (USGC) President and CEO Ryan LeGrand took part in the U.S.-China High Level Agricultural Dialogue last week in Des Moines, Iowa, joining a gathering designed to promote open discussion on cooperation and development of trade between the United States and China.

LeGrand, along with the CEOs of Continental Grain, Syngenta and the U.S. Soybean Export Council, took part in a panel discussion on the steps to increase trade between the U.S. and China.

“Agricultural trade is the highlight of the current relationship between the two countries, and the Chinese government has sent a clear, positive signal to American farmers,” LeGrand said. “Tariff barriers are not helpful in solving the hunger problem facing the world. If the two countries can play a leading role in free trade in agriculture, the whole world will benefit.”

Three ambassadors from and to China spoke at the forum, including U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Qin Gang and former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad.

“In the past 10 years, agricultural trade between China and the United States has grown by a total of $10.5 billion,” Ambassador Qin Gang said. “Facts have proven that China-U.S. economic and trade relations are win-win in nature, and to restore normal trade ties between the two countries as soon as possible is the shared call of both sides.”

The event, hosted by the United States Heartland China Association (USHCA) and the China Agricultural Association for International Exchange (CAAIE), had nearly 200 high level participants in attendance, including government, education, national and international agri-business leaders. The Council and the Iowa Corn Growers Association, a Council member, both sponsored the event.

On the heels of it, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced China had purchased 1,347,000 metric tons (MT) (53,028,696 bushels) of corn. Of that total, 735,000 MT (28,935,480 bushels) were for the 2021/2022 marketing year (MY), while 612,000 MT (24,093,216 bushels) were for the 2022/2023 marketing year.

The Council will continue to monitor the trade relationship between the United States and China as part of its mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.