The ever-escalating US trade war with China, which rocked stock markets
earlier in the week, shows no signs of letting up, with sources familiar
with the administration’s efforts saying that no new talks are taking place between the US and China on the matter.
It’s not clear if any new talks are even scheduled at this point, as
there have been no discussions since the Trump Administration’s
unilateral move against Chinese telecom Huawei earlier this week, just
the latest in a string of moves to anger Chinese officials.
Tit-for-tat sanctions threaten to devastate parts of both nations’
economies, with the Trump Administration seemingly banking on the
talking point that they’re going to make China suffer worse than the
Americans are.
One of the hardest hit parts of the US economy is agriculture, with President Trump planning to offer $15 billion in aid to the farmers,
buying crops for humanitarian aid abroad. He previously suggested China
would ultimately pay for this aid to the farmers in the form of even
higher tariffs.
Some farmers were deeply critical of the move, however, saying they
don’t want a handout, they want their ability to compete on the Chinese
market back. The trade war has driven prices in the US so low that even
with the government buying some crops to “help” farmers, they still
stand to lose a bundle, particularly in corn and soybean farming.
The US govt has done everything possible for decades to make food worthless: low-quality, cheap and produced in the most fossil-fuel-intensive way imaginable. Then, we give that worthless GMO feed away all over the world, to ensure it’s impossible for farmers to make a living anywhere else also. That sends those former-farmers into urban slums to barely survive making our clothes in tax-free export processing zones.
Food used to be expensive, high-quality and sustainable… and it will be again if humanity will endure.
Corporate farms rely on semi slave labor whether private or state owned. Corporate mechanized chemical agriculture cannot compete with cosmic powered biology manifest as human farmers. Additionally,
corporatists require continuous welfare payments from government.
I’m impressed by the difference in food quality in Europe compared to the US. Trump wants to force them to take GMO crap (which would probably be hidden in processed foods slowly degrading the food supply and driving local farmers out of business unless they adopt race-to-the bottom methods and inputs
).
how can they call it talks. it is demands, all kinds of demands. what china gets in return?…tariffs will return anytime us wants. and u cant retaliate.