One of the key markets for crops grown in the Northern Plains was China. In 2018, the trade war disrupted the local supply chain to the Pacific Northwest. NDSU Extension crops economist Frayne Olson says that supply chain may look different moving forward. “China is buying more soybeans from Brazil, and Brazil has a monster crop. China will buy U.S. soybeans again, but it could take several years before the volume of soybean sales into China get to levels pre-tariff or trade war.” China was a focus during a grain elevator trade issues panel at the Northern Commodity Transportation Conference. Panel moderator Baize and Associates President John Baize says the U.S. is trying to get back to developing the markets for soybeans out of the Pacific Northwest. “The coronavirus is really distorting things.” Baize says things look simple in China, but they’re not. “They’ve got so many different interests and problems right now. I think it’s one of those things where we have to sit back and watch. You’ll find out what China will do. Beforehand, it’s really hard to predict.”
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