Trump’s tariff fight with China is a new threat to American farmers

On Wednesday, China unveiled steep reprisals on American exports, the secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent published a clear and somewhat surprising response: “So what?”

The question underlined the argument of the Trump administration according to which America has the upper hand in a trade war with China given how its economy is filed on exports to the United States.

The United States bought much more goods from China than China buys from the United States. But Beijing’s decision to retaliate against President Trump’s punishing prices by increasing the samples from 84% American imports could sting more than Mr. Bessent.

“American companies that sold in China and who have managed to do so, will not be able to do so because of Chinese reprisals,” said Sean Stein, president of the American-China Affairs Council in the hours preceding Mr. Trump again raising his prices.

“The prices on the Chinese side and the American side cover everything,” added Stein, which means that everything, from aviation to medical imaging to agriculture would be affected and “trade will slow down,” he said.

The United States exported 143.5 billion dollars of goods in China last year and imported $ 438.9 billion in this country, the office of the United States representative.