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Rising pork prices in China could benefit US pork exports

African Swine Fever continues to sweep through much of Asian and consumers are paying the price.

During a call with reporters earlier this week, Joel Haggard, the US Meat Export Federation’s senior vice president for the Asia-Pacific region says fresh pork prices in China have increased almost 80 percent since August.  “It makes US pork still viable,” he says.  “Even with the 72 percent duty.  But we’re the supplier of last resort because of that duty.”

But, he says, the US is a supplier that could easily grow its market-share of that country.  “We think we could export up to 1.6 tons of pork,” he says.  “Just for comparison in 2018, we did 220,000 tons.  So we could significantly increase our trade there.”

The US and China have reportedly agreed to lift some tariffs if the “phase one” trade deal is signed; it is unknown if pork would be included.