U.S. pork exports to China fell four years in a row, from 2021 to 2024.

The trajectory of these shipments plummeted from $1.648 billion in the full year of 2020 to $311 million in the first 11 months of 2024.

China ranks as the fifth largest market for U.S. pork foreign sales, below Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Canada.

U.S. pork exports to China

On January 15, 2020, former President Donald J. Trump signed a trade agreement with People’s Republic of China Vice Premier Liu He. This agreement sought to address long-standing concerns of the U.S. government and U.S. businesses about China’s unfair practices in trade and technology.

This is the trend in U.S. pork exports to China, in millions of dollars:

• 2018: 199.
• 2019: 856.
• 2020: 1,648.
• 2021: 885.
• 2022: 522.
• 2023: 386.
• 2024 (January-November): 311.

Trade Restrictions

China’s retaliatory tariffs from 301 and 232 investigations remain in place and represent a major barrier to U.S. pork exports. Although the Section 301 tariff exemption, implemented in March 2020, favored beef and pork exports, the 25% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum keep the United States at a disadvantage to other suppliers. 

In addition, U.S. exports of certain cuts, such as hams and picnics, are traded at discounts to competitors, affecting prices for producers.

Among the main challenges to market access are China’s zero tolerance for Codex-approved beta agonists, immediate suspensions of establishments for violations, and strict testing requirements to ensure the absence of ractopamine. 

China also rejects products for diseases unrelated to food safety and applies zero-tolerance policies for pathogens in raw meat. Finally, Decree 248 imposes new registration requirements for exporting plants, which could reverse the progress made in the Phase 1 Agreement. The USMEF considers it key to maintain the current registration process agreed to in the Phase 1 Agreement.