Source: American Feed Industry Association news release
ARLINGTON, Va. – The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is pleased to see a cooling of U.S. tariffs on and retaliatory tariffs from China and a proposed trade agreement with the United Kingdom coming to fruition, given discussions late last week and over the weekend between the U.S. and respective countries’ trade officials. Both China and the United Kingdom present valuable opportunities for U.S. animal food manufacturers, which produce some of the safest, highest quality and innovative feed, feed ingredients and pet food globally.
Under the potential agreement with China, the United States would lower tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% from its current 145%; China would reduce its import duty to 10% from 125% on American goods; and the global superpowers would place a 90-day pause on new tariffs while trade representatives negotiate.
“China is a top destination for many U.S. animal food products and provides many essential ingredients, like vitamins, not produced elsewhere globally that allow U.S. animal food manufacturers to produce complete and balanced animal food,” said AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman. “We support President Donald Trump’s initiative to ensure our trading partners are treating American industries fairly and are in our best national security interests. We are hopeful that the 90-day tariff pause will provide the breathing room needed for Chinese and U.S. trade officials to reach a mutual agreement that benefits the U.S. animal food industry and agricultural economy.”
China is the U.S. animal food industry’s third top export destination by value at $1.27 billion in 2024. In 2024, the U.S. animal food industry imported roughly $549 million in ingredients and animal food products, with some of the top imports being vitamin E, amino acids, dog and cat food, vitamin C and animal feed.
Late last week, U.S. trade officials announced a potential trade agreement with the U.K., the 19th largest trading partner for U.S. animal food exports, based on 2024 data. While the two countries negotiate a final agreement, the United States will maintain a 10% baseline tariff on British imports and will reduce levies on various commodities; and the U.K. will reduce or eliminate several non-tariff trade barriers that have impeded the United States’ ability to conduct trade with the country.
“For years, the AFIA has said that agriculture needs to be included in any trade discussions with our European counterparts, particularly in the United Kingdom, and we are excited that our calls have not fallen on deaf ears with the Trump administration,” said Cullman. “The new U.S.-U.K. trade agreement is slated to offer ‘unprecedented access’ of many American-made agricultural products to the United Kingdom, and we hope that includes animal feed.”
Tariffs and taxes remain the primary barriers U.S. animal food manufacturers face when accessing the U.K.’s market for animal food. The AFIA would like to see a reduction in tariffs and a commitment from the U.K. to pursue science-based standards and regulations, both domestically and in international fora such as at Codex and the World Organization for Animal Health.
About AFIA
Founded in 1909, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), based in Arlington, Va., is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. The organization’s membership is comprised of over 650 domestic and international companies that represent the total feed industry–manufacturers of commercial and integrated feed and pet food, ingredient suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, industry support and equipment manufacturers. AFIA’s members manufacture more than 75% of the feed and 70% of the non-whole grain ingredients used in the country. AFIA is also recognized as the leader on international industry developments, and holds membership in the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF).
