Cargill, which has an grain elevator facility on the East St. Louis riverfront, said ongoing trade conflicts between China and the U.S. could lead to job losses back home, reports the Belleville News-Democrat.
The company said it has seen a slowdown in the movement of soybeans grown by U.S. farmers.
Cargill, along with Bunge SCF, helped pay for a recent road improvement on Front Street in East St. Louis, as they each have grain facilities along the Mississippi River.
During peak harvest times, the companies anticipate 800 to 1,000 trucks a day to use the road to deliver grain, Cargill said.
Cargill said farmers, however, are holding back their soybean supplies and storing them because of a drop in futures prices.
"A trade conflict between the U.S. and China will lead to serious consequences for economic growth, including the loss of sales and jobs here at home,” Cargill said in an email to the Belleville News-Democrat.
