We saw conflicting reports last week on a trade breakthrough between the U.S. and China.  That has not impacted planned talks between the two nations’ leaders this month in Argentina.  President Trump’s National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow contradicted a report by Bloomberg that Trump asked officials to draw up terms of a China trade deal, after a lengthy phone call with China’s President Xi.  But Kudlow added in a CNBC interview, the end-of-the-month sit-down at the G-20 summit in Argentina is “definite” and will include trade.

 

"It’s a good indication that they say they’re going to have it, you might say it’s on the schedule, it’s on the program for the meetings down there in Argentina, we can’t know until it happens,” said American Farm Bureau trade adviser Dave Salmonsen.

 

He added it would be more encouraging to see preliminary lower-level meetings to hammer out some of the issues ahead of time.

 

“I have no idea to the extent that any of that is happening yet," Salmonsen added.  "At least I haven’t seen anything publicly about that and no announcements, so that’s what I think I’ll be watching closely for in the run up to this, what kind of preliminary work is being done.”

 

 

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