Woodbridge-based Orange Cheese Co. ships U.S.-made cheese to China.
Members of a Connecticut-based company that ships cheese overseas are in Washington, D.C. this week to talk about the impact of tariffs.
Cynthia Liu, the managing director of Orange Cheese Co., is there attending the annual meeting of the U.S. Dairy Export Council on Tuesday.
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WATCH HERESince 2014, the company has shipped cheese and other dairy products from factories in the Midwest to restaurants and grocery stores in China.
Liu says the back-and-forth on tariffs between the two countries has been challenging to work through.
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SIGN UP “We only export U.S. to China, so this escalation between U.S. and China has made our products financially unworkable in the short term,” she said.
On Tuesday, the White House announced 104% tariffs on Chinese goods that will take effect midnight after China did not roll back retaliatory tariff, further escalating the trade war between the two countries.
Liu said the company is currently dealing with a 44% tariff China implemented on top of existing duties on goods coming into the country. She said if the trade war continues, their products might get too expensive for their average customer.
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“I think this really hurts to see our customers, millions of Chinese consumers,” she said. “They won’t be able to access high-quality, premium U.S. cheese during this period of time.”
Liu said the company’s team in China has enacted a crisis management plan, working closely with supply chain partners, customers, and advisors to evaluate all of the options.
In 2018, Liu explained the company was able to get an exemption on high tariffs during the first round of tariffs between the U.S. and China. She is concerned she won’t be able to get that again as the two countries’ leaders are unwavering in their negotiations.
