With the Phase 1 trade agreement between the United States and China set to expire and no new trade agreement in sight, farmers in Iowa and across the United States would benefit from a more balanced trade relationship with China, according to an Iowa State University economist and co-founder of ISU’s China Ag Center.

Because ag exports often get caught in the crosshairs of trade disputes, it’s better to sell a wide range of ag products, Wendong Zhang said last week during a trade webinar hosted by the Iowa Economic...