Hog futures fall on tariff worries, technical selling - CME

Mar 17, 2025

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures edged down on Thursday under pressure from technical selling and worries that US President Donald Trump's tariff war could hurt export demand, Reuters reported, citing analysts.

The European Union announced has a plan to impose duties on US imports, including on poultry and meat products.

"The market is worried about what will happen with the EU," Doug Houghton, analyst at Brock Associates, said.

CME's April lean hog contract settled down 0.875-cent to 85.625 cents per pound.

Live and feeder cattle futures spent the day chopping up and down as a lack of fresh news provided little direction for the futures.

CME April live cattle rose 0.65-cent at 202.05 cents per pound. CME April feeder cattle futures settled down 0.75-cent to 279.975 cents per pound.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.