China imposes curbs on beef imports to protect domestic industry

Beijing/Sao Paulo | Reuters — China will impose an added 55 per cent tariff on beef imports that exceed quota ranges from key provider international locations together with Brazil, Australia and the U.S. in a transfer to guard a home cattle trade slowly rising from oversupply.

China’s commerce ministry mentioned on Wednesday the full import quota for 2026 for international locations coated beneath its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7 million metric tons, roughly according to the document 2.87 million tons it imported general in 2024.

The brand new annual quota ranges are set under import ranges for the primary 11 months of 2025 for prime provider Brazil in addition to for Australia.

“The rise within the quantity of imported beef has severely broken China’s home trade,” the ministry mentioned in asserting the measure following an investigation launched final December.

The measure takes impact on January 1 for 3 years, with the full quota rising yearly.

Beef imports to China fell 0.3 per cent within the first 11 months of this yr to 2.59 million tons.

China’s beef sector not aggressive

Chinese language beef imports will decline in 2026 on account of the measures, mentioned Hongzhi Xu, senior analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultants.

“China’s beef-cattle farming is just not aggressive in contrast with international locations comparable to Brazil and Argentina. This can’t be reversed within the brief time period by means of technological developments or institutional reforms,” Xu mentioned.

In 2024, China imported 1.34 million tons of beef from Brazil, 594,567 tons from Argentina, 243,662 tons from Uruguay, 216,050 tons from Australia, 150,514 tons from New Zealand, and 138,112 tons from the U.S.

Within the first 11 months of this yr, Brazil shipped 1.33 million tons of beef to China, in keeping with Chinese language customs information, nicely above the quota ranges set beneath Beijing’s new measures.

Additionally this yr, Australian shipments to China have surged, gaining share on the expense of U.S. beef after Beijing in March allowed permits to run out at a whole bunch of American meat crops and as President Donald Trump unleashed a tit-for-tat tariff warfare. U.S. shipments stood at simply 55,172 tons by means of November.

Australian beef exports to China stood at 294,957 tons within the first 11 months of 2025.

China hasn’t imported Canadian beef since 2021 after a case of atypical BSE was present in Alberta.

Brazil count on provide chain changes

China’s transfer comes as a world beef scarcity pushes up costs in lots of components of the world, together with to document highs within the U.S.

Responding to Beijing’s announcement, Mark Thomas, chair of the Western Beef Affiliation in Australia, mentioned: “There’s loads of different international locations that can take our product.”

Luis Rua, secretary at Brazil’s agriculture ministry, mentioned there isn’t a purpose “to panic”, telling Reuters that the federal government can negotiate “compensatory measures” with China to offset the influence of the brand new tariffs.

In a phone interview, Rua additionally talked about Brazil’s capability to redirect beef exports to different international locations.

Brazilian trade teams, then again, expressed concern.

In 2025, Chinese language imports of Brazilian beef totalled roughly 1.7 million tons, equal to some 48 per cent of the quantity exported by Brazil general, mentioned beef foyer Abiec in an announcement.

“Given this situation, changes will turn out to be mandatory all through the whole provide chain, from manufacturing to export, to keep away from broader impacts,” Abiec famous.

Brazil’s different beef foyer Abrafrigo mentioned the potential influence of China’s safeguard measures may imply a lack of as much as $3 billion (C$4.1 billion) in export income for Brazil in 2026.

This yr, Brazil’s whole beef export revenues are estimated at $18 billion (C$24.7 billion), Abrafrigo mentioned.

Home safety

China made its announcement following two extensions of its beef import probe, which officers say doesn’t goal any specific nation.

The tariffs will assist curb the decline in China’s breeding cow stock and purchase time for home beef enterprises to make changes and upgrades, mentioned Zengyong Zhu, a analysis fellow of the Institute of Animal Science of the Chinese language Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Beijing has stepped up coverage help for the meat sector this yr and mentioned in late November that cattle farming had been worthwhile for seven consecutive months.

— Reporting by Liz Lee, Shi Bu, Daphne Zhang, Ella Cao; Extra reporting by Helen Clark in Perth, Gabriel Araujo and Ana Mano in Sao Paulo and Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro.

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