China lifting U.S. pork tariffs a good sign for Canadian pig farmers: APAS

Good things could be coming for Canadian pork producers.

On Friday, China announced the tariffs on American pork and soybean exports will soon be lifted.

The news comes as an outbreak of African swine fever ravages China. The country, which is the world’s largest pork consumer, has lost 100 million pigs in the past year — either to the virus or because farmers don’t want to restock the hogs after they die. Due to the decline in pig supply, pork prices in China have jumped nearly 50 per cent in the last year.

“It just goes to show food and politics don’t mix. If people are going hungry, politics should go and get sidelined pretty quickly,” said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

China restricted Canadian pork and canola imports after the arrest of a Huawei tech executive last year. Since then, Lewis said pig farmers across the country have felt the negative impact.

Now with China planning to exempt American pork from its latest round of tariffs, Lewis hopes it’s a sign Canada’s pork tariffs are axed next.

“China’s been a good customer,” Lewis said. “So hopefully Canadian pork will be allowed (back) into the (Chinese) marketplace and we’ll be able to supply them with the product that they need and want.”

— With files from the Associated Press and CNN