Trade War Escalates: China Strikes Back with 15% Tariffs on U.S. Farm Exports!
3 min read
UPDATED MARCH 04,2025
BEIJING — The U.S.-China trade war is escalating once again. On Tuesday, China announced fresh tariffs of up to 15% on key U.S. agricultural imports, including chicken, pork, soybeans, and beef, intensifying tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The new measures, set to take effect on March 10, were introduced by China’s Commerce Ministry in direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping 20% tariff hike on Chinese goods, which came into force the same day.
A woman walks by the Chinese and U.S. national flags on display outside a souvenir shop in Beijing on Jan. 31, 2025.Andy Wong/AP
China’s Retaliatory Tariffs Target American Agriculture
Among the hardest-hit products in this latest round of tariffs are U.S. poultry, wheat, corn, and cotton, all of which will face an extra 15% tariff. Additionally, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products will be subjected to an extra 10% tariff, making it even more expensive for Chinese importers to buy American farm goods.
China is a major buyer of U.S. farm products, and this move could significantly impact American farmers, who have already faced economic hardship due to previous trade restrictions. Over the past few years, the U.S. has recorded record-high agricultural exports to China, totaling $36.4 billion in 2022 and $33.8 billion in 2023. However, Beijing has been actively diversifying its supply chain, increasing imports from countries like Brazil and Argentina to reduce reliance on U.S. agriculture.
China Expands Business Restrictions on U.S. Companies
In a further blow to U.S. trade interests, China also announced new restrictions on American companies, expanding its “unreliable entity list”—a blacklist that bans certain firms from doing business with China.
On Tuesday, 10 additional U.S. companies were added to this list, barring them from engaging in China-related import/export activities and blocking new investments in the country. The newly sanctioned companies include:
- TCOM, Limited Partnership
- Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC
- Teledyne Brown Engineering
- Huntington Ingalls Industries
- S3 AeroDefense
- Cubic Corporation
- TextOre
- ACT1 Federal
- Exovera
- Planate Management Group
These restrictions follow last month’s addition of two high-profile firms—fashion giant PVH Group and biotechnology company Illumina—to the same list.
More U.S. Firms Face Export Controls
China didn’t stop there. It also placed 15 more U.S. aerospace and defense companies on its export control list, barring them from receiving key Chinese materials and products. Among the targeted firms are:
- General Dynamics Land Systems
- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
According to the Commerce Ministry, these companies have been deemed a threat to China’s national security, and Beijing will prohibit the export of dual-use items—materials and technology that could have both civilian and military applications—to these firms.
The Bigger Picture: Trade War Continues
China’s latest countermeasures highlight the deepening economic rift between Beijing and Washington, with global trade markets feeling the impact. As China continues to seek alternative suppliers for farm products, U.S. farmers and businesses face mounting uncertainty. Meanwhile, American companies now find themselves increasingly locked out of one of the world’s largest markets.
With tensions rising, all eyes are on how Washington will respond—and what this means for global supply chains and economic stability in the months ahead.
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