Tariffs: US pet industry welcomes new trade deals with China and UK

When US President Donald Trump announced widespread and significant tariffs on imports into the US in April, the pet care industry was forced to weigh up the potential impact.

However, trade tensions are easing to some degree, as the president dials back on initial tough rhetoric and shows a willingness to agree to new trade terms with key partners.

The US and China have agreed to reduce tariffs while negotiating a trade agreement; the US tariffs will decrease from 145% to 30%, while the Chinese tariffs will drop from 125% to 10%.

The White House also reached a deal with the UK, which has reduced or removed tariffs on some of the UK’s exports, including cars, steel and aluminum.

Industry welcome

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) welcomed positive action to reduce the burden on the industry, acknowledging that both China and the UK present valuable opportunities for US animal food manufacturers.

“China is a top destination for many US animal food products and provides many essential ingredients, like vitamins, not produced elsewhere globally that allow US animal food manufacturers to produce complete and balanced animal food,” says AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman.

Cullman is hopeful that the 90-day tariff pause will provide “the breathing room needed” for trade officials to reach a mutual agreement that benefits the local pet industry and agricultural economy.

China, the third-largest export market for the US animal food industry, is valued at $1.27 billion (€1.13B). In 2024, imports of animal food products and ingredients, including vitamin E, amino acids and dog and cat food, totaled $549 million (€489M).

New coalition

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) and 6 other pet industry organizations have formed a collaborative initiative to coordinate strategies aimed at reducing the effects of tariffs on the pet industry.

The coalition, which meets weekly, includes IndiePet, National Animal Supplement Council (NASC), Pet Advocacy Network (PAN), Pet Food Institute (PFI), the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) and World Pet Association (WPA).

“We are closely examining how tariffs will affect live animals, manufactured products, pet food and animal pharmaceuticals while also working to ensure our industry’s voice is heard in ongoing discussions with regulatory officials,” says Julia Fidenzio-Alicea, APPA’s Chief Legal Officer.

UK market

Local pet industry representatives also highlight the UK’s importance to the American pet food market. However, the agreement is currently narrow, focusing primarily on cars, steel, and certain food and beverage products. Discussions aimed at securing a broader agreement are ongoing.

“For years, the AFIA has said that agriculture needs to be included in any trade discussions with our European counterparts, particularly in the United Kingdom, and we are excited that our calls have not fallen on deaf ears with the Trump administration,” says AFIA President Cullman.

“The new US-UK trade agreement is slated to offer ‘unprecedented access’ of many American-made agricultural products to the United Kingdom, and we hope that includes animal feed.”

According to UK Pet Food, the US accounts for 0.3% of total pet food exports. “The real win lies in the boost to UK economic confidence these trade links provide at a time when it’s badly needed,” notes Nicole Paley, the trade association’s Deputy Chief Executive.