China’s Ministry of Commerce has imposed a “temporary antidumping measure” on U.S. sorghum imports, requiring a deposit of almost 179 percent on the value of sorghum shipments starting today.

National Sorghum Producers president and CEO Tim Lust says they are “deeply disappointed” in the action.

“National Sorghum Producers, alongside our producers, stakeholders and partners, has cooperated fully with China’s antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, including submitting several thousand pages of data demonstrating conclusively that U.S. sorghum is neither dumped nor causing any injury to China. None of this information appears to have been seriously considered or used in today’s preliminary determination, which is neither fair nor appropriate,” said Lust.

“We continue to greatly value our Chinese customers and what has been a win-win business relationship between U.S. sorghum producers and our Chinese partners. Today’s decision in China reflects a broader trade fight in which U.S. sorghum farmers are the victim, not the cause. And U.S. sorghum farmers should not be paying the price for this larger fight.”

Tony St. James, All Ag News, interviewed Lust about the action: Interview with Tim Lust, National Sorghum Producers