Trump tariffs crush U.S. pig farmers

China would not normally be able to satisfy its consumer demand for pork, even before the epidemic of African swine fever has cut the nation’s pig population in half. Farmers in the United States would, normally, step in to help fill the gap. But in retaliation to the tariffs placed on Chinese imports by President Donald Trump, pork going to China from the U.S. now faces a 62 percent levy, essentially making American products too expensive for consumers in China. It’s also leaving exporters frustrated that they cannot take advantage of a prime opportunity to gain long-term access to a lucrative market. American pig farmers are estimated to be losing out on $1 billion in exports as a result of the continued tensions between the two global economic powers. Although some U.S. pork products are making their way to China despite the steep duties, in the long term, American producers are haplessly losing out to countries like Brazil and Germany in the global race to feed China’s insatiable taste for pork. “We certainly want to retain as much of our business as possible [in China], but when you have a tariff that’s five times higher than the standard, that’s a significant headwind,” said Joe Schuele, vice president of communications for the U.S. Meat Export Federation...MORE