Half-year figures show tariff effect on US hide exports
Trade tensions that have been building up since the early part of this year appear to have had an effect on US hide exports.
China has long been an important destination for US hide exports, but is one of only a small number of countries that has threatened high levels of retaliatory tariffs on the US in response to announcements from Washington.
The US has threatened tariffs of 145% on imports from China. In response has raised its threatened tariff levels on imports from the US of 125%.
Those high levels are on hold after a second 90-day truce came into effect on August 12 and discussions on a deal between the two biggest economies in the world are ongoing.
The uncertainty that the tariff debate has caused, however, appears to have made a big impact on China’s imports of US cattle hides.
Figures that the US Department of Agriculture has published for the first six months of 2025 show that China imported just over 4.5 million US hides, with a total value of $114.8 million.
Compared to the first six months of 2024, these figures represent declines of 31.6% in volume and of 38% in value.
Overall, the US exported 7.7 million hides during the six-month period, bringing in revenues of $205.9 million. These figures mean a fall of 20% in volume and of 30% in value year on year.
