Which NC items could be targeted by China’s retaliatory tariffs? Here’s a list
China is imposing additional tariffs on agricultural products in response to new tariffs levied by the Trump administration.
These tariffs, which are taxes placed on goods imported into a country, include fees on items produced in North Carolina, including chicken and pork.
These add to China’s previous tariffs on U.S. exports including coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, agricultural machinery and large cars and pickup trucks.
Here’s what to know about the tariffs, which are scheduled to go into effect Monday, March 10.
North Carolina items on China’s retaliatory tariffs list
China announced that the following agricultural products will be subject to a 10% tariff:
- Sorghum
- Soybeans
- Pork
- Beef
- Aquatic products
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Dairy products
These items will be subject to a 15% tariff:
- Chicken
- Wheat
- Corn
- Cotton
North Carolina exported $5.9 billion of goods to China in 2024, according to the United States Trade Representative. In 2022, the state shipped $4.5 billion in domestic agricultural exports abroad, with the highest-valued products being pork, broiler meat and tobacco.
The U.S. exports chicken paws, or feet, to China, said Robert Ford, the executive director of the North Carolina Poultry Federation. Producers that sell the paws would likely be affected more by tariffs than producers that don’t.
However, he said, it’s too early to say what exactly the impact of the tariffs will be.
“It’s got a lot of people scrambling, I’ll put it that way,” Ford said. “Not only in the poultry industry, I’m sure.”
According to the North Carolina Pork Council, in 2022, China imported $13.6 billion of pork from the U.S. North Carolina exports about $650 million of pork each year.
NC companies affected
In addition to the tariffs, China placed restrictions on several American companies, The Wall Street Journal reported, including some in North Carolina.
Ten companies, by being added to the “unreliable entity” list, are now barred from engaging in China-related import or export activities and making new investments in the country. Two of the companies are in North Carolina:
- TCOM Limited Partnership has a manufacturing and flight test facility in Elizabeth City.
- Cubic Corporation has a Cubic Nuvotronics office in Durham.
Fifteen companies were also added to China’s export control list because they “endanger China’s national security interests,” the country said. One firm added to the list is Leidos, a technology company headquartered in Virginia that hires North Carolinians.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Which NC items could be targeted by China’s retaliatory tariffs? Here’s a list."
