Kent Bacus, director of international trade and market access for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), said regarding the announcement that China has included American-produced beef on a list of proposed retaliatory tariffs:

“It is unsettling to see American-produced beef listed as a target for retaliation. Sadly, we are not surprised, as this is an inevitable outcome of any trade war. This is a battle between two governments, and the unfortunate casualties will be America’s cattlemen and women and our consumers in China. The Trump administration has until the end of May to resolve this issue. We believe in trade enforcement, but endless retaliation is not a good path forward for either side.”

— Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.