Smithfield Foods hurt by trade war

Shane Smith, CEO of Smithfield Foods—the largest pork company in the U.S., owned by Chinese firm WH Foods—has pointed out that his company is required to sell all the pork and byproducts they process after slaughtering animals.

One of their main export products to China—where U.S. pork now faces tariffs—is offal (such as intestines, stomachs, fats, and tendons). These parts of the animal are not typically consumed by Americans, making China an important market.

However, according to Smith, the tariffs have made everything more difficult, as Smithfield's products have become more expensive compared to international competitors.

Additionally, Canada recently banned imports of pork from Smithfield’s Tar Heel plant in North Carolina—the largest pork processing facility in the U.S.—due to a sanitary issue found in offal.

Finally, Smithfield Foods may also face labor challenges, as Trump's new immigration policies could increase labor costs, according to Eurocarne.