Trade war with China foreseen

WASHINGTON - For years, one bright spot in the United States' huge trade imbalance with China has been the Asian nation's soaring appetite for American agriculture.

But this month, China abruptly imposed stricter requirements on billions of dollars of American soybeans in a way that threatens to curb the exports and punish a wide swath of the U.S. heartland.

And that could be just the beginning, if President Trump follows through on his oft-repeated promise to get tough with Beijing on trade.

Although Chinese media attributed the new policy to quarantine officials who reported finding mildew contamination in some shipments, the tactic was all too familiar and the message unmistakably clear.

"It was kind of a warning shot that they're not going to take things lying down, and that there will be pain for U.S. exporters" should Trump levy trade sanctions on China, said David Loevinger,