In an op-ed published in USA Today, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the Trump Administration will protect U.S. farmers from Chinese trade retaliation. While the current trade situation is unsettling, Perdue said American farmers will see the benefits if the president is able to change China’s behavior. The issue of intellectual property rights has been cited as a reason for the administration’s trade action. Perdue highlighted an example from 2011 when a group of Chinese nationals dug up biotech seed from an Iowa corn field with plans to steal the technology.
