Americans pig out, thanks to Trump

Chicago – Americans are losing their taste for chicken and eating more beef and pork as President Donald Trump’s trade wars reduce US pork exports to China and Mexico and leave cheaper bacon and ribs at home.

An expansion in the number of US pigs and cattle is contributing to the change in diets by boosting supplies of pork and beef. Restaurants are seizing on the increases to promote hamburgers instead of chicken, while grocery stores have featured pork.

The pain for chicken producers and the increased appetite for pork are ripple effects of Trump’s trade disputes, which have also reduced shipments of US soya beans and sorghum to China.

Pork prices have fallen as retaliatory duties of 62% in China and up to 20% in Mexico have curtailed US exports to those countries.

Promotions at restaurants such as Wendy’s Co, which is featuring a “S’Awesome” hamburger with three strips of bacon, are helping to fuel pork and beef demand.