German cars, American steak: First casualties of US-China trade war emerge

The ability of tariff-hit companies to weather the conflict may partly depend on the amount of stock they managed to import before higher levies kicked in

China’s retaliatory tariffs on US goods struck just as one of its biggest meat importers was rushing a shipment from California through Shanghai customs. Now Suzhou Huadong Foods Ltd is saddled with a stack of unaffordable American steak.

Only three containers of frozen produce including prime rib and pork loin came through before the new levy slapped as much as 500,000 yuan ($75,000) on each of the remaining half-dozen crates, according to Gong Peng, the importer’s general manager.

“We have no choice. We have to eat the costs," Gong said in an interview. “We are guaranteed to dramatically lower our