Another 23 U.S. pork plants have received approval to export to China.

"This is good news," he said. "There are many obstacles and difficulties in the meat trade with China, but the addition of some pork facilities that were not previously approved or registered for export to China is a positive development."

He also argues that more work needs to be done to address the high tariffs facing American pork plants.

"I would say this will likely lead to some increase in export volumes," Schule said. "But keep in mind that U.S. pork and most types of pork entering China are still subject to a general tariff of 57%. This compares to the 12% tariff most suppliers pay."

The recent changes, which also affected 83 poultry operations, apply to products produced after June 11, according to the National Pork Producers Council.

In its statement, the NPPC asserted that the approval of these 23 pork processing facilities "opens new commercial opportunities for certain types of U.S. pork products. China is an important market for certain types of U.S. pork products, such as by-products, which are of greater value to U.S. producers than to producers in other countries."

In 2024 , more than 475,000 tons of U.S. pork were exported to China, valued at over $1.1 billion, with approximately 55% of pork by-product exports going to China.