Old North News

The Chinese pork industry has been under siege lately from African swine fever and a trade war with the U.S., but that hasn’t adversely affected North Carolina hog producers.

China’s hog problems are mostly irrelevant to North Carolina. The state is not really a key player in the communist nation’s acquisition of foreign pork.

“China historically is a limited destination, relatively speaking, for North Carolina pork products. … Our major export markets in terms of volume and value are Mexico and Japan,” stated an email sent to the Old North News from the North Carolina Pork Council.

A recent agricultural trade agreement with Japan will benefit U.S. states exporting to the Asian country. The agreement will reduce tariffs on both fresh and frozen pork.

The swine disease has devastated a third of China’s pig population, but trade issues have prevented opportunities for American pork farmers to fill the void in the Chinese pork market.

Quartz reported that American producers have wanted to sell more pork to China, but a 62-percent levy does not make it economically feasible. So China has sought out Brazil and Spain to close the supply gap.

Estimates from China stated that pork production could see a decrease of 20 percent in 2019.

China was poised to slap additional duties on American pork at the beginning of September, but China’s official news agency, Xinhua, later reported that the Customs Tariff Commission of China's State Council would not be imposing more tariffs on pork.

The North Carolina Pork Council wrote that the trade war effects have been manageable, considering overall market conditions, and added that China could be an economic option once the trade differences are put to rest.

“China is a market opportunity in the near term should trade differences be resolved,” the email read.