SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The trade war with China is making life difficult for many farmers across Washington state.
The state’s 1,900 wheat growers, who export the vast majority of their crop, are particularly hurt. But so are cherry growers who just harvested their highly perishable crop.
Washington State stands to lose $480 million in agricultural exports to China because of retaliatory tariffs. That’s according to the state Department of Agriculture.
Mike Carstensen, a wheat grower whose farm is near Grand Coulee Dam, said that last year China was the No. 4 customer for his wheat.
This year he says the Chinese have not bought any.
Meanwhile, the 2,500 cherry growers in Washington say they will lose some $86 million this season because of retaliatory tariffs by China.
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