China's tariffs on American goods could dip into North Carolina's pork exports.
China said Monday it is imposing a 25 percent tariff on dozens of goods, including pork products. North Carolina exported about $100 million worth of pork to China last year.
China's move is a retaliatory measure to President Trump's announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminum. Jen Kendrick of the North Carolina Pork Council said the group hopes the tit-for-tat will encourage a new trade deal with China.
"We're definitely disappointed that China has placed an additional tariff on U.S. pork exports, but we also recognize that they're still negotiating, and so we're hoping they come to better terms," she said.
Kendrick said there is also added value to the pork the U.S. exports to China.
"What they're importing is the variety meats; things that we don't generally sell here. They're taking the stomachs, the feet and the ears," she said.
North Carolina is consistently one of the top pork producers in the country. The United States exported a total of about $1.1 billion worth of pork to China in 2017.
Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
