Thread by @kaylatausche

THREAD: Spoke to USDA Sec. Sonny Perdue on his way out of the @CNBC studio. Below are some highlights from our (brief) conversation /1

@CNBC Perdue says he was surprised by how weak US soybean exports have been after harvest this year, citing China not living up to its purchase commitments and Brazil and Argentina "trying to infringe on our market time here."

@CNBC Perdue says the restored tariffs on US imports of steel and aluminum from Brazil and Argentina are "to some degree" tied to that dynamic.

@CNBC "It's usually this time of year when our soybean exports go up. It's not their harvest in Brazil- that will come in the spring. That's when their exports go up. But they're trying to infringe on our market time here. And I think [the new tariffs are] a signal from the President."

@CNBC Perdue says China's been buying soybeans in increments of 5 and 10 million metric tons. But in October talks reaffirmed its commitment to buy 20 million metric tons of soybeans each year. "But it has not happened. That's a problem in dealing with China."

@CNBC Perdue says, if the US reaches a trade deal with China, it would be a "tremendous watershed event for American agriculture" because China would *double* the US farm imports from its highest year ever, though acknowledging "It'll take a while to ramp up to that."

@CNBC Is USDA requesting budget for another round of aid, as economists told the @washingtonpost would be "inevitable"?

Perdue: Agency isn't preparing for it at present, but is willing to do more depending on "how quickly the economy ramps up on the farm" after a China deal.

@CNBC @washingtonpost FINALLY: Perdue demurs when asked whether there is a principals call scheduled between US and China before the 12/15 tariff deadline.

He says it "remains to be seen" - and then says there's not one that he'll be on.

@CNBC @washingtonpost The end. I'm new to this thread thing, so I forgot to keep the numbers going (but this is 9/9).