US farmers dread uncertainty over tariffs

As of April, US exports of pork to China at close to $98 million had grown 4 percent by volume and 14 percent by value, according to the US Meat Export Federation. That growth trend might get reversed, however.

In response to US President Donald Trump's announcement of 25 percent tariffs on an estimated $50 billion worth of Chinese goods on June 15, China announced on Saturday that it's ready to levy a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion of US goods, including pork, beef and fish. Trump threatened on Tuesday to impose a 10 percent tariff on $200 billion of Chinese goods, in retaliation for China's decision to raise tariffs on US goods.

For US farmers such as Dave Struthers in Collins, Iowa, this is just like deja vu.