China cancels purchase of 12,000 t of U.S. pork over tariffs

Tariffs are beginning to affect U.S. meat exports, and China has made its largest cancellation of U.S. pork orders since 2020, according to Thursday data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The cancellation of 12,000 t of U.S. pork is the biggest since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains, and total U.S. pork export sales last week fell to their lowest level since October.

China’s retaliatory measures against President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from the Asian giant mean U.S. pork shipments now face a massive 172% tariff—including the levies imposed during the first trade war in 2018— according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation. China was the third-largest market for U.S. pork in 2024, behind Mexico and Japan, importing about 475,000 t worth more than US$ 1.1 billion.