In 2018, the previous Administration imposed Section 301 tariffs on imports from China. This resulted in retaliatory tariffs, placing U.S. pork in a non-competitive situation relative to the E.U. Pork imported from the U.S. carries a 25 percent tariff over and above the most-favored-nation rate of eight percent.
Section 301 tariffs were retained by the current Administration and are regarded by agricultural exporters as onerous. Despite the Phase One Agreement, China, predictably dragged its feet on establishing an approved establishment list and effectively failed to comply with the Agreement. China also requires certification that pork is derived from herds fed either ractopamine (justified) or Codex-approved beta agonists (unjustified).