Michigan farmers nervous over China trade dispute

(23 Mar 2018) David Williams says he and his fellow farmers in Michigan are "very nervous" about the impact of a potential trade war with China. Williams tends to soybeans, corn and wheat on a 3,700-acre farm in Shiawassee (SHEYE'-uh-WAH'-see) County that has been in his family for generations. "We're very nervous. We're concerned that China could retaliate, and soybean is a great big target," Williams said Friday, a day after President Donald Trump announced plans for tariffs on products including Chinese steel to punish Beijing for stealing American technology. Beijing responded Friday with a threat to slap tariffs on American products such as pork, wine, apples, ethanol and stainless-steel pipe. Farmers voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016. But now many worry about the economic blowback from his combative approach. Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association said farmers need to be able to export some of their supply because "we can't eat any more here in the United States." "The agriculture economy overall is pretty depressed," Byrum said, "We have a cold, if you will, at this point. We are headed for the flu if we see some of these trade barriers coming at us and some of these tariffs coming at us, because we have to export. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you... Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork