(WASHINGTON D.C.) — It was announced early Monday that the US and China have agreed to a lowering of tariffs on each others goods as the U.S. will cut tariffs imposed on Chinese imports to 30% and Chinese duties on U.S. goods will fall to 10%, effective for 90 days.
More agriculture groups are reacting to the positive news in US/China trade relations. U.S. Grains Council issued a statement that said “The U.S. Grains Council thanks President Trump and his administration for continuing to work with one of our largest trading partners to level the trade playing field. This 90-day window will allow more time for ongoing negotiations, positive news for both our countries. We hope it is the first step in a new trade relationship between China and the United States.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew issued a statement saying “We are encouraged to see the administration responding to the concerns of farmers and ranchers by taking steps to ease trade tensions with China. Farmers spent years developing China into an important market for many agricultural products; future trade agreements must build on these decades of work. While today’s news is a positive next step, farmers continue to face significant uncertainty. We are watching these negotiations closely and expect any future deal to deliver lasting, meaningful benefits for America’s family farmers and ranchers.”
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Duane Stateler, a pork producer from McComb, Ohio, said in a statement that “America’s pork producers are encouraged by the temporary tariff reduction agreement reached by the U.S. and China. We look forward to the continued collaboration and engagement between both countries to further reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. No other country holds a candle to our export opportunities in China, as many of our exported pork products, such as offals, are not widely consumed in the U.S. and have nowhere to go.”
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is also pleased to see a cooling of U.S. tariffs on and retaliatory from China. “China is a top destination for many U.S. animal food products and provides many essential ingredients, like vitamins, not produced elsewhere globally that allow U.S. animal food manufacturers to produce complete and balanced animal food,” said AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman. “We support President Donald Trump’s initiative to ensure our trading partners are treating American industries fairly and are in our best national security interests. We are hopeful that the 90-day tariff pause will provide the breathing room needed for Chinese and U.S. trade officials to reach a mutual agreement that benefits the U.S. animal food industry and agricultural economy.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with their Chinese counterparts in Switzerland over the weekend, with Trump saying in a post on Truth Social Saturday that an opening up of China to American business is wanted “for the good of both China and the U.S.”
