Coronavirus Could Reduce Buys of U.S. Agriculture
Ag Buys Could be Delayed 021320
A White House official says the deadly virus in China could reduce the country's buys of U.S. agriculture this year under the Phase One trade deal.
White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien spoke this week to the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. The council is a think tank for international affairs. The virus has killed more than a thousand people. O'Brien called it a serious situation
"They have a need to import food. We think the Phase One deal will allow China to import more food and open those markets to American farmers, but certainly, as we watch this coronavirus outbreak unfold in China, it could have an impact on how big, at least in this current year, the purchases are, but I think over time the Phase One deal is a great deal," said O'Brien.
China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has said the country might have to delay its purchases of some $40 billion in U.S. farm products because of the virus, but that it would fulfill its commitment within a year.
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