U.S. sorghum armada U-turns at sea after China tariffs
Several ships carrying cargoes of sorghum from the United States to China have changed course since Beijing slapped hefty anti-dumping deposits on U.S. imports, official data showed.
Sorghum is a niche animal feed and a tiny slice of the billions of dollars in exports at stake in the trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
The dispute threatens to disrupt the flow of everything, from steel to electronics.
The supply-chain pain felt by sorghum suppliers in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans underscore how quickly the mounting trade tensions between the U.S. and China can impact the global agricultural sector.
Twenty ships, carrying over 1.2 million tonnes of U.S. sorghum, are on the water, according to export inspection data from the USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service.
Of the armada, valued at more than 216 million dollars, at least five changed course within hours of China’s announcing tariffs on U.S. sorghum imports on Tuesday, Reuters shipping data showed.
“This tit-for-tat has to stop and talks to find lasting solutions must begin, for the good of U.S. agriculture.
“It has to stop because of the customers we have spent decades working to win as loyal buyers,’’ said Tom Sleight, President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council.
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