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Pork exports to China still hampered by tariffs

Steve Meyer

China has been increasing its purchases of U.S. pork, but sales continue to be hampered by tariffs.  

Pork industry analyst Steve Meyer says it’s still unclear if pork producers will see much benefit from the phase one trade agreement with China.

“There wasn’t hardly anything pork specific in there,” Meyer says. “I don’t think pork producers are going to see anything out of this until we get a ‘phase two’ that has something to do with these punitive tariffs.”

Meyer says getting rid of the punitive tariffs could move the U.S. to “the front of the line” as a pork supplier to China.

“Right now we’ve got, I think, 68 percent total tariffs—and the European Union pays eight percent. So we’re in a real price disadvantage there.”

But even with those lingering questions about China, Meyer predicts overall pork exports will increase 26 percent in 2020.

Meyer spoke with Brownfield at Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines.

AUDIO: Steve Meyer

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