China Could Purchase Much Less U.S. Farm Product Than Thought, New USDA Estimate Suggests

President Trump’s promise in January that China would purchase roughly $40 billion in U.S. agriculture products this year faced new questions on Thursday when a top government economist suggested a much smaller haul could occur, adding uncertainty to a key part of a partial trade deal.

U.S. Department of Agriculture chief economist Robert Johansson projected that agricultural exports to China would reach roughly $14 billion in the year that ends Sept. 30, a $4 billion in crease from one year ago.

But that amount would still fall far short of what White House officials said would take place based on the recently announced “Phase One” trade deal with Chinese leaders. White House officials have said agricultural exports to China would be between $40 billion and $50 billion in each of the next two years. Last year, when he was promising the trade deal would lead to a huge increase in purchases, Trump told farmers to buy “more land” and “bigger tractors.”

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