Michael Bloomberg says he would de-escalate trade tensions with China if elected
- Billionaire US presidential candidate slams Trump administration over trade policies that led to Beijing placing heavy tariffs on American exports
- Bloomberg targeting farm-heavy states with agriculture plan ahead of ‘Super Tuesday’ nomination contest
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Friday pledged to de-escalate US-China trade tensions, make it easier for farmers to hire foreign labourers and increase federal agricultural research.
The former New York mayor’s farm policy programme, first reported by Reuters, comes ahead of the “Super Tuesday” March 3 nomination contests in 14 states, including farm-heavy states like Minnesota and Oklahoma.
Bloomberg, a billionaire who is self-financing his campaign, is a leading candidate in the Democratic nomination contest to take on Republican President Donald Trump in the November election.
He has been one of Trump’s harshest critics on the campaign trail – sometimes trading personal insults with the president – and on Friday he slammed the administration over its trade policies, which have led trading partners, notably China, to put heavy tariffs on US farm exports.
“Trump’s trade war has been devastating for America’s farmers,” he said in a statement.
Despite Trump’s trade policies, polls indicate the president still enjoys broad support among farmers.