Texas cattle ranchers uneasy over proposed Chinese tariffs on beef

Unease swelled Wednesday across the agriculture industry when China retaliated against President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs by announcing plans for duties of their own on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods like soybeans and whiskey — and beef. Cattle make up a major chunk of Texas' livestock inventory, with more than 20 million cattle roaming on ranches across the state. Around 4.5 million of those cattle are used for beef. Texas' beef industry has just started re-establishing a relationship with China; a 14-year ban on U.S. beef exports to the country was lifted just last year. Texas is only exporting a small amount of beef to the country, but the industry is still feeling the pressure, especially given a related tariff threat on pork. – The Texas Tribune Read more…