These duties will be imposed on Chinese exports to the USA of frozen pigmeat, including cuts; fresh or chilled beef offal; rabbit and hare meat (frozen, fresh and chilled); deer offal (fresh, chilled or frozen); bovine semen; as well as mixed feed or mixed feed ingredients for livestock.
The USA imported 203,000 tonnes of pork by carcase weight in 2018, down from 208,000 tonnes in 2017.
A US Government statement released in the US Federal Register said that, since a working lunch between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last December, the USA and China had been trying to negotiate a trade deal.
A key goal would be addressing American concerns about Chinese intellectual property protections for US technology exports to China. Meetings have been held in March, April, and May, but the US Government note claimed: “In the most recent negotiations, China has chosen to retreat from specific commitments agreed to in earlier rounds. [Given] the lack of progress…, the President has directed the [US] Trade Representative to increase the rate of additional duty to 25%.” This would be paid on top of any pre-existing duties the US might have charged on these Chinese meat and livestock sector exports.
China’s pigmeat export trade is especially vulnerable, given the sharp reduction in output in China because of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks.
These, said a note from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), “have resulted in liquidation of breeding herds”, which is expected to “result in a substantial contraction in pork production this year.”