The trade war that essentially closed the Chinese market to U.S. meat exporters eased on May 12 after the announcement of a 90-day reduction in tariffs while the U.S. and China continue negotiations.
This announcement does not include tariffs in place prior to April 2, including steel and aluminum. U.S. pork exported to China will still face a minimum total tariff rate of 57%. Previously, U.S. pork was tariffed at 172%, which makes it impossible for U.S. pork producers to compete in that market, says the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).
U.S. pork producers welcome news of China tariff temporary de-escalation and thank the Trump administration for making progress. It is imperative that we have access to our second largest export market for U.S. pork products, such as offals.
— NPPC (@NPPC) May 12, 2025
“America’s pork producers are encouraged by the temporary tariff reduction agreement reached by the U.S. and China,” says NPPC President Duane Stateler, a pork producer from McComb, Ohio. “We look forward to the continued collaboration and engagement between both countries to further reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. No other country holds a candle to our export opportunities in China, as many of our exported pork products, such as offals, are not widely consumed in the U.S. and have nowhere to go.”
Brett Stuart, economist and founder of Global AgriTrends, says he expects a resumption of U.S. pork trade under the new tariffs.
“The 90-day pause is designed to lead to a negotiation that could lift more retaliation on U.S. pork,” Stuart says. “The comments about ‘purchase commitments’ could be leading to a Phase Two agreement.”
A Step Forward
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) says they greatly appreciate the efforts of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to negotiate this agreement with their Chinese counterparts, says USMEF president and CEO Dan Halstrom.
“Although this is a temporary pause, we are hopeful that it is the first step toward restoring access to China for U.S. pork and beef,” Halstrom says.
The two officials told the Associated Press (AP) that the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues. Bessent said following two days of talks the high tariff levels would have amounted to a complete blockage of each side’s goods — an outcome neither side wants.
“The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling,” Bessent told AP. “And what had occurred with these very high tariffs ... was an embargo, the equivalent of an embargo. And neither side wants that. We do want trade.”
NPPC’s No. 1 priority is to help producers have economic sustainability, explains Maria C. Zieba on The PORK Podcast.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty for our producers in key markets, and with the tariffs and pork product not going through, that’s caused a lot of work over the last few months just trying to wrap our heads around all these new tariff announcements and ongoing negotiations,” Zieba says.
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