WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — U.S. farmers could gain lower Chinese tariffs on a broad range of agricultural products under the new U.S.-China “30-for-30” framework, but commercial soybeans are notably absent. The two governments approved comparably valued product lists covering roughly $30 billion of annual trade in each direction, although each country still needs to take domestic legal action to implement the tariff reductions.
China’s list includes U.S. corn, wheat, sorghum, rice and other grains. It also covers fresh and frozen beef, pork, poultry products, dairy products including milk powder, whey, butter and cheese, along with peanuts, cotton and numerous fruits, vegetables and specialty crops.
One major commodity is missing. The Chinese list includes seed soybeans and soybean flour, but does not include the standard tariff line for non-seed soybeans used for crushing and food markets. That leaves the largest traditional U.S. agricultural export to China outside this initial tariff framework.
Cotton is included through the tariff line covering uncarded or uncombed cotton. The framework also includes live cattle and other livestock, breeding animals, seafood, nuts and many processed agricultural products, giving the package reach well beyond bulk grains.
The Board of Trade will review the covered products and may consider expanding the arrangement later. The two countries also established an agriculture working group focused on market-access barriers, creating another channel for agricultural trade discussions beyond tariffs.
