China says it began purchasing more US farm goods
China said Thursday that it had begun purchasing more US farm goods, addressing a key sticking point in efforts to resolve a drawn-out trade war between the two economic giants.
US farm exports to China are estimated to be the lowest in years as a result of Beijing’s retaliation against President Donald Trump’s tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods.
Trump said this week that China was supposed to start buying more American agricultural goods but had shown “no signs that they are doing so”. Chinese enterprises started approaching US suppliers in mid-July to discuss buying new agricultural goods including soybeans, cotton, pork and sorghum, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told reporters Thursday.
His comments came a day after Chinese and US trade negotiators in Shanghai wrapped up their first face-to-face talks since Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in June.
Companies “have already pur-chased some agricultural products”, Gao added, noting the companies had applied for exemptions to punitive tariffs China has slapped on US farm goods.
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