American farmers are among those closely watching the China-US trade talks. Following a White House decision to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing slapped its own tariffs on some American agricultural products. As Dan Williams reports, that left many farmers in the Midwestern state of Iowa deeply concerned.  

A sign of U.S.- China agricultural collaboration right in the heart of America's farm belt as an agribusiness tour party from northeastern China were shown various farming facilities in Iowa. This farm hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited here six years ago as vice-president.

But away from these fields, concern continues over the ongoing trade dispute between the two countries. The Trump administration's decision to impose tariffs on China led China to impose tariffs on a range of U.S. products list that included soybeans.

Lin Tan is Executive President of a company that imports 300 million bushels of soybeans to China each year-a third of which comes from the U.S. He says the recent developments have made his job altogether more challenging.

LIN TAN, EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT HOPEFUL INVESTMENT HOLDINGS "The situation is tough in the industry and everyone is really concerned about that. People wonder what will be the next step for the industry to go. When you buy soybeans, you are not going to buy today and use today. Most of the time, you buy half a year before that, and then beans are shipped out of here on to the ocean. And, then you don't know when the policy will be there."

DAN WILLIAMS NEWTON, IOWA "It is a key time for farmers with the growing season well underway. But many farmers remain deeply concerned that if the issue of tariffs continues, they will be the ones counting the cost come harvest time."

Iowa exported more than five billion dollars of soybeans to China last year. Grant Kimberley of the Iowa Soybean Association says there are already signs the market is changing.

GRANT KIMBERLEY, DIRECTOR OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION "When you are putting your seed in the ground you want to know that you are going to have a good market for it come harvest time. I think there is certainly the concern for soybean farmers right now. Especially in light of what we have seen recently that China has backed away from purchasing from the U.S., even though there are not any tariffs in place, but there is the threat of that and the uncertainty of that."

Rolland Schnell is a farmer in the nearby town of Newton... and a former President of the Iowa Soybean Association. He fears for the consequences if an agreement is not reached soon.

ROLLAND SCHNELL IOWA SOYBEAN FARMER "We've built good relationships with the customers around the world and if they find that for whatever reason our product is not an economically profitable thing to purchase, they are going to go elsewhere. We are going to lose our market share and I am talking years and decades away, so that is frustrating."

This is what the soybean market looks like in Iowa. In Beijing and Washington it's looking a lot different right now. Iowa's soybean farmers and their Chinese guests hope it won't be long before it's business as usual again. Dan Williams, CGTN Newton, Iowa.