Chief U.S. ag trade negotiator Gregg Doud said that currently there is no way to know if the coronavirus will impact China’s ability to fulfill its purchase commitments under phase one of the agreement between the U.S. and China, and he said China has not requested any consultations to delay those purchases.
“That is the obvious question — and the obvious answer is there is no way to know what the impact of this is, at this time,” Doud told Brownfield Network on the sidelines of the Nebraska Governor’s Ag Conference relative to the coronavirus impact.
But, as USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and others have noted, Doud said implementation of the Phase One agreement is on schedule. “At USDA and USTR, we are talking to our Chinese counterparts every day, by phone or by email — and so far, everything if going very well,” Doud told Brownfield. “Obviously, this is not the best of circumstances but, so far, everybody is doing everything they can to implement the agreement.”
Reuters reported that China has met another one of their commitments under the phase-one agreement – setting maximum residue levels (MRLs) for three approved beef hormones used in U.S. cattle production.
Doud said China has not asked for a reprieve from their purchase commitments. “No,” he stated. “That is the simple answer. They have not.”
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