pork producers

USMEF on China’s Additional Import Duties on U.S. Pork

Dan Exports/Imports, Industry News Release, Pork

usmefEarlier this week the Chinese government announced the imposition of additional import duties on a range of U.S. products, including a 25 percent duty increase, on top of the existing 12 percent duty, on imports of U.S. pork and pork variety meat. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Joe Schuele has more.

USMEF on China’s Additional Import Duties on US Pork

More information on this situation is also available below.

Statement from U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom:

Dan Halstrom will become USMEF president on Sept. 1We regret the Chinese government’s decision to impose an additional 25 percent duty on imports of U.S. pork and pork variety meat. The United States is a reliable supplier of pork products to China, and this decision will have an immediate impact on U.S. producers and exporters, as well as our customers in China. We are hopeful that the additional duties can be rescinded quickly, so that U.S. pork can again compete on a level playing field with pork from other exporting countries.

Exports have been a key driver of growth in the U.S. pork industry, and with nearly 27 percent of U.S. pork production exported last year, international trade is critical to the continued success and profitability of the U.S. industry. China is a leading destination for U.S. pork and especially for pork variety meat. In 2017, U.S. exported 495,637 metric tons (mt) of pork and pork variety meat to China/Hong Kong, valued at $1.08 billion – our second-largest international market by volume and third-largest by value. For pork variety meat exports only, this was our largest destination in both volume (321,116 mt) and value ($741.8 million), accounting for 63 percent of U.S. export value. Variety meat exports make a critical contribution to industry profitability, and last year these exports to China/Hong Kong alone equated to more than $6.00 per U.S. hog slaughtered.

With U.S. exporters facing tariff and non-tariff barriers in China and other key markets, it is especially important to expand and diversify our export destinations for U.S. red meat. USMEF is working constantly to identify new and emerging markets in regions such as Central and South America, Southeast Asia and Africa, and to expand our customer base in mainstay markets such as Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Canada.