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Portman Hears Various Reactions From Farmers On Trade War With China

By Andy Chow

Published August 2, 2019 at 9:57 PM EDT

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) [Statehouse News Bureau] — U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) visited the Ohio State Fair to mingle with hundreds of farmers from around the state as news spread that President Donald Trump was moving forward with plans to increase tariffs on Chinese imports.

Portman said the trade war between the U.S. and China was a topic of conversation at the fair. The tariffs on China have resulted in a steep drop in exports from Ohio farms, especially soy.

Portman says farmers were split on Trump's proposal to expand tariffs.

"So I think farmers agree that China has been a problem for a long time…one of them said 'it took a long time for us to get here, it's going to take us a long time to get out of that,’ and we're going to have to figure out other markets and other strategies," says Portman.

He says this highlights the urgency for the Trump administration to strike a deal with China.