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

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - 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 )