China has hiked tariffs on 128 products from scrap metal to sparkling wine, and Wisconsin growers and producers are concerned about what the tariffs may mean for their industries.
China slapped a 25 percent tariff on United States pork products, including everything from hind legs to chops.
Tammy Vaassen, Wisconsin Pork Association executive vice president, said Wisconsin producers exported about a quarter of the pork produced in the U.S. to overseas partners. Of that amount, China was the third largest market last year.
"They’re very dependent on our export opportunities," she said. "If we take away some of those opportunities, we certainly need to add to that or we’re going to lose farmers based on the financial implications that will occur."
More than $1 billion in U.S. pork was shipped to China last year. Wisconsin produced 305,000 hogs in 2017, according to national statistics. Vaassen hopes the tariffs will be short-lived.
"We certainly are supportive of continuing to expand free trade agreements for our U.S. pork producers and all of our agricultural products that we produce not only in Wisconsin but also across the U.S.," she said.
The compete story here > Wisconsin Growers, Producers Weigh Impact Of Chinese Tariffs