China Introduces Quotas On Beef Imports

Imported beef from Australia is seen astatine a supermarket successful Beijing connected 1 January 2026. Credit: ADEK BERRY / AFP via Getty Images

China has placed quotas connected beef imports, claiming a caller summation successful shipments to nan state had “seriously damaged” its home industry.

Imports supra nan quota look an further tariff of 55%, according to a connection from China’s Ministry of Commerce. A 12% work is imposed connected volumes wrong nan quota.

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The measures went unrecorded connected 1 January and are group to past until nan extremity of 2028.

Industry representatives successful Brazil said nan quota awarded to nan country’s beef exporters was little than nan volumes shipped to China past year.

According to Brazilian trade-body ABIEC, nan country’s beef processors exported 1.7 cardinal tons to China past year. The shipments amounted to conscionable complete 48% of China’s beef imports, ABIEC added.

The quota awarded to Brazil stands astatine 1.1 cardinal tons, nan organisation said.

“In this scenario, adjustments are basal passim nan full chain, from accumulation to export, to debar broader impacts,” ABIEC said.

“ABIEC and CNA [The Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil] will proceed to show nan implementation of nan measures, moving straight pinch nan Brazilian Government and Chinese authorities to trim nan harm that this surcharge will origin to Brazilian livestock farmers and exporters and to sphere nan historically practiced waste and acquisition flow.”

The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) said China’s caller quotas could trim Australia’s beef exports to nan state by astir a third. The manufacture organisation said that represented “trade worthy complete A$1bn” (US$668.6m).

AMIC said Australian beef accounted for 8% of China’s beef imports successful 2024. Nearly 80% of beef shipped to China comes from South America, it added.

“This determination will person a terrible effect connected waste and acquisition flows to China complete nan long of nan measures’ enforcement, disrupt nan longstanding relationships fostered nether nan China–Australia Free Trade Agreement and restrict nan expertise for Chinese consumers to entree safe and reliable Australian beef,” Tim Ryan, nan CEO of AMIC, said.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said nan caller “safeguard measures” would beryllium “gradually relaxed astatine fixed clip intervals during nan implementation period” up to nan extremity of 2028.