US cheese-making states to enjoy tariff boon

US cheese-producing states, especially Wisconsin, the nation's largest producer, will benefit from China's recent move to reduce tariffs on cheese from 12 percent to 8 percent.

The tariff reduction on US cheese was one of 187 US product categories that China cut tariffs on by 17.3 percent to 7.7 percent.

In 2016, Wisconsin was the fourth-largest exporter of cheese of all kinds to China, accounting for more than $3.8 million in sales, according to the Agriculture Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State University. Exports to China have risen 59 percent over the last year, according to the center.