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Coronavirus outbreak could disrupt phase one trade deal with China

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says they’re hopeful the coronavirus outbreak in China doesn’t inhibit the Phase One trade deal purchase goals for this year.  “Travel has been disrupted and I think the last number I saw was 46 million people sheltering in place in China during their Lunar New Year,” he says.  “It’s obviously going to have some ramifications economy-wide.”

But, he says, they’ll have to wait and see the full impact of the virus.  “The honest answer is we just don’t know yet,” he says.  “But we’re hoping for a very quick conclusion.”

Perdue made his comments during a call with reporters on Wednesday while traveling to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy to meet with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture.