(Yicai) April 9 -- A number of listed Chinese food companies have said the impact on their businesses of steep new import tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump will be minimal.

Trump has raised tariffs on Chinese imports to an extraordinary 104 percent after China matched his 34 percent border tax announced on April 2, which was levied on top of existing 20 percent duties on Chinese goods.

Key agricultural products imported from the United States include soybeans, corn, and beef. But several major Chinese food companies have said they have minimal reliance on raw materials from the North American country and that the tariffs will have little to no impact on their operations.

Snacks maker Chacha Food said that the share of nut ingredients it imports from the US is relatively low. The Hefei-based company plans to source more almonds and pistachios from Australia and other regions, and process them at its factory in Thailand. As a result, the tariff spike will have a limited effect on the cost of buying some nut ingredients, it said.

Edible oil and grains supplier Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings also said the impact will be negligible. “The abundant harvest of South American soybeans, along with an increase in China's state reserves of soybeans and domestic soybean production, indicates that the additional tariffs will not have a significant impact on soybean supply at this time,” it said.

“For wheat, corn, and rice, domestic self-sufficiency is the main focus, and the proportion of imports is relatively small," the Shanghai-based company added.

Jinzai Food Group said that the firm, which is headquartered in Changsha, primarily sources the raw fish for its snacks from Southeast Asian waters, and the prices of anchovies have not yet been affected by higher US tariffs.

Condiment maker Zhongjing Food said its export business is small, and it does not ship directly to the US market. The Nanyang-based company operates through distribution agents, and the new tariffs will have no direct impact on its business at this time, it said.

Jiahe Foods Industry, a non-dairy creamer producer, stated that it also does not have any direct exports to the US, so the elevated border taxes will have no direct impact on its business either.

Editor: Tom Litting