Sonny Perdue: tariff disputes threaten US exports - Reuters

Reuters is out with comments from the US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who says that US agricultural exports are exposed to risk from retaliation over Trump's tariffs.

Key highlights:

Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum come into effect next week, and trade tensions are already pulling taught ahead of sweeping tariffs targeting China which the president is expected to unveil before Friday. Perdue noted that agricultural and farm products are the "tip of the retaliatory spear", and angry trading partners are likely to lash out with targeted retaliation on US goods. China has begun an anti-dumping investigation on American sourgum, on top of enforcing stricter quality standards on US soybeans, which is the US' top export in terms of US Dollar value. The European Union is also expected to slate US goods for extra tariffs, including rice, orange juice, makeup, and motorcycles, among others. Sonny Perdue and others in trade circles are increasingly fearful that targeted retaliations in the opening moves of a trade war may derail the US economy at a time when growth is beginning to surge.