Georgia Agriculture Exports Could Suffer In Possible Trade War
Some state experts worry tariffs on China will end up hurting Georgia farmers.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce wants to shield the state’s farmers and businesses from any possible trade war with China.
President Donald Trump has proposed $50 billion in tariffs on China Thursday, and his 25 percent tariff on steel imports goes into effect Friday.
If there is retaliation, Georgia agriculture could take a hit, because China is the state’s third largest trading partner after Canada and Mexico.
“These foreign nations that we’re going to put these import taxes on are not stupid. They’re going to retaliate,” said Jeffrey Rosensweig, Associate Professor of International Business at Emory University.
“They’re going to hit us where it hurts which is often our farm exports,” he said.
Agriculture is still the huge industry in the rural parts of the state says Jason O’Rouke, Vice President of Public Policy and Federal Affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
He has been busy lobbying congress and the Trump administration to protect farmers and businesses in the state from any fall-out, should there be a trade war.
“We would like to minimize the adverse impacts of it so anything we can do that can limit retaliatory trade practice,” he said.
O’Rouke points to two Georgia products that are currently going to China.
“Chicken feet and pecans, these are huge products as an export and the Southeast Asian market has really demanded those products and those have benefited Georgia,” he said.
Georgia’s cotton farmers could also be vulnerable should Europe make good on its promise to tax blue jeans, O’Rouke said.
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