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Friday, March 29, 2024

As U.S. meat supplies dwindle, exports to China soar

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As U.S. meat supplies dwindle, exports to China soar
As U.S. meat supplies dwindle, exports to China soar

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation's food supply even as workers got sick and died.

Yet the plants have increasingly been exporting to China while U.S. consumers face shortages, a Reuters analysis of government data showed.

This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

Facing warnings of a meat shortage in the U.S., President Donald Trump issued an executive order last month directing processing plants to continue operating.

"We solved that problem yesterday.

I expect to see the supply chain as strong as ever, maybe stronger for certain reasons." Yet, a Reuters analysis of government data showed that plants have increasingly been exporting pork and other meat to China, even as some warn the U.S. food supply chain is "breaking." For example - while pork supplies tightened in the U.S. as the number of pigs slaughtered each day plunged by about 40% since mid-March, shipments of American pork to China more than quadrupled, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This comes after President Trump in an effort to ease a trade war he started, signed a deal with Beijing in January, which included a promise by China to ramp up purchases of American farm goods by at least $12.5 billion in 2020.

Now, Trump is facing criticism from some lawmakers, consumers and plant employees for putting meat workers at risk - by requiring plants to stay open - in part to help ensure China’s meat supply.

Both the White House and USDA declined to comment.

The U.S. food supply chain has become highly stressed.

Suppliers like Tyson have limited meat products for retailers due to plant closures.

While Kroger and Costco have restricted shoppers’ meat purchases.

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