BEIJING/CHICAGO (Reuters) -China will raise import tariffs on most pork products next year, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, after the world’s top producer rapidly expanded domestic production and reduced its needs for imports.
Tariffs for most favoured nations will return to 12% on Jan. 1, from 8% currently, according to a ministry statement.
China lowered its tariffs on frozen pork in 2020 from 12% to 8% as the country faced soaring domestic meat prices in the aftermath of a devastating outbreak of African swine fever, a pig disease.
Imports surged to a record and remained at high levels through the first half of the year, even as the hog herd recovered and prices fell below production cost by the third quarter.
“Adjusting rates in a timely manner can help secure supplies and stabilize prices in the domestic market by reasonably using the international market,” said Zhu Zengyong, researcher with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
The higher rates will further slow imports from top exporters like the United States and Spain that have already dropped sharply in recent months.
Most U.S. pork shipments to China face a 25% retaliatory tariff imposed during the trade war between Washington and Beijing, in addition to the most favoured nations (MFN) tariff.
“After years of working to remove tariffs, we are disappointed to see China’s foreign ministry announce the increase in MFN tariffs on pork,” said Maria Zieba, assistant vice president of international affairs for the National Pork Producers Council in Washington.
“This is especially concerning given ongoing issues with African swine fever and the high demand for pork in China.”
October pork arrivals in China fell by 40% on the prior year to 200,000 tonnes, though imports in the year to date have only slipped 8% on a year ago to 3.34 million tonnes, according to customs data.
“Any increase in tax makes it more challenging to exporters,” said Joel Haggard, senior vice president for the Asia Pacific at the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
(Reporting by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton in Beijing and Tom Polansek in Chicago; Editing by Mark Potter and Cynthia Osterman)
