As China trade war escalates, Iowa soybean country is front line

What do asphalt, shoe soles, and aquaculture all have in common? They are three of the many ways that soybean products can be used – and that’s a testament to how much the U.S. soybean industry has invested to expand its markets at home and abroad.

But despite the industry’s ingenuity and initiative in finding ever greater ways to sell soy, it’s virtually impossible to make up for the loss of the market it has spent 40 years developing: China.

“The reality is, there is only one country on the planet that has 1.4 billion people, that has a growing desire to consume pork [and] poultry” raised on soy-based feed, says Mark Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, which is made up of two national and 12 state soy organizations.

He compares the soybean industry’s predicament to a sports

Another uncontrollable?Markets, not paymentsThe China connection