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Doud: U.S. and China trade slips without constant engagement

The president of the National Milk Producers Federation says the U.S. and China must stay engaged in conversation if they’re going to keep trade on track.

Gregg Doud, a former U.S. chief ag negotiator, helped broker the phase one trade deal.

“After we did the phase one deal with China, we were talking to them every day. We were fixing all kinds of little knick-knack issues that kept the trains rolling and kept stuff moving. And then we didn’t, and now we’re back knocking on the door again. The Chinese are like, wait a minute, what, what’s going on here? You were here, then you’re gone and you’re back.”

Doud says he expects China to follow through on its recent purchase commitments to the United States, but it will require time and constant engagement.

“If they start to slip and you don’t hold their feet to the fire, they’re gonna say, well, if you’re gonna let me slip and do this, then I’m gonna continue to slip,” he says. “You gotta bring them back to where they were. Ambassador Jamieson Greer, our U.S. trade representative, he was our chief of staff when I was there. Folks, he is an excellent trade lawyer. He knows exactly the terms of the deal. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Doud says China will buy from the lowest cost supplier.

“This price competition thing is going to be tough to deal with and from China’s perspective, they’re like, well, hey, you know, may the best person win between the U.S. and Brazil. We’re going to take the best deal we can get. You can’t expect them to say anything else other than that.”

Hear more from Doud on trade in the latest episode of Inside D.C., which can be viewed here and on Brownfield’s YouTube channel.