Weekly export inspections for C/S/W were actually pretty good this week:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/wa_gr101.txt

I have no idea how much of this went to China.

Isn't this the sort of fake news we hear about

In actual fact, importers rushed to front load before tariffs were in place

Dec showed a decline as the tariffs hit harder. Is this a permanent slow down or one month??

So: the headline is correct but the details tell a different story

True the numbers are correct {I assume they are] as is the numbers for Dec.

True the trade imbalance continues

True  china is trying to source from other countries and sell more to other countries plus encourage a domestic economy, which could skew the numbers and try to avoid the trade dispute.

But the tariffs may be working if Dec is any indication

Higher prices at Wall Mart may be having an effect

I am thinking we will have to wait maybe 3-6 months to know the true story [Just guessing on the  time line and of course if a trade deal is made then the time line would not apply]

I hate fake news

The trade numbers are factual not open to fake news. Dec showed an ever so slight devation from the trend which is more likely  a cause of the government shutdown than any change attributed to the trade war as somewhere near 350 ships are anchored off the US coast waiting on paperwork that is being held up because of the gov er moment shutdown.

I'm good with it. On both sides.