Trump's trade dispute threatens $200M Montana beef deal with China, unsettles industry supporters

[Ptah]

MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press Apr 29, 2018

SHEFFIELD — Montana rancher Fred Wacker had thousands of head of cattle fattening up along the Yellowstone River for export to China when President Donald Trump picked a trade fight with the Asian nation.

The dispute threatens a $200 million deal that Wacker helped secure last year to ship Montana beef to China, yet the potential setback to his business plans hasn't diminished his stalwart support for Trump.

"I'm not going to follow him over the cliff, but I'll take a pretty good jump," Wacker said as a small team of cowboys on his Cross Four Ranch herded hundreds of cattle onto trucks headed for summer pasture.

Deep in Montana's ag country, ranchers' and farmers' support of Trump is being put to the test as the president's bellicose threats of a trade war risk their livelihoods. It's a constituency that voted heavily for Trump and that has a lot to lose, both in existing trade and new deals like the one involving Wacker that could send tens of thousands of Montana cattle to China over the next several years.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/trump-s-trade-dispute-threatens-m-montana-beef-deal-with/article_ca727b40-1ed9-51e4-9347-ee2702925ae8.html

[Girard442]

1. Fred, when Trump's trade wars leave you broke and homeless, come to NY.

We still try to maintain a safety net here, despite the efforts of people like you to shred it. I doubt you'll find one in Montana.

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. About that, "not going to follow him over a cliff" thing, that happened when you

voted for him. Elections have consequences.

[gratuitous]

3. Exactly; he doesn't have to follow Trump over that cliff

He's tied to Trump. He'll go over the cliff whether he wants to or not.

[eleny]

6. If only I could draw

That would make an excellent political cartoon today.

[eleny]

4. Sounds like there could be a lot of cheap meat dumped on the American groceries

[superpatriotman]

5. So...it's Hank tester's fault?

Now it all makes sense.