Trump to unveil $12 billion aid for farmers hit by trade war, White House official says

U.S. President Donald Trump was set to unveil a $12 billion aid package for American farmers affected by his trade policies, a White House official said on Monday. 

The announcement was due to be made at a 2 p.m. (1900 GMT) roundtable at the White House, the official said.

U.S. farmers have been saddled this year with record harvests and lost billions of dollars in soybean sales to China when the nation turned to South American suppliers this fall during stalled trade talks. 

The administration had been expected to announce a farm bailout totaling as much as $15 billion in October. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins previously said the 43-day federal government shutdown delayed the rollout.

Bloomberg News, which first reported the amount of the aid package, said growers of cattle and crops from grains to soybeans, cotton and potatoes will attend the White House event.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Chizu Nomiyama )