While there’s great potential to increase U.S. pork exports around the world, market access challenges and ongoing trade negotiations have slowed the process.

"We’re certainly at a very competitive position here in the U.S.," Laurie Huenke, director of international trade policy for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), told attendees at Iowa Swine Day in Ames recently. "But we do have some challenges to our exports."

The United States is currently exporting about 27 percent of its pork products. The United States exported 2.1 million tons of pork (5 billion pounds) last year and already 1.31...