China has placed quotas on beef imports, claiming a recent increase in shipments to the country had “seriously damaged” its domestic industry.
Imports above the quota face an additional tariff of 55%, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce. A 12% duty is imposed on volumes within the quota.
The measures went live on 1 January and are set to last until the end of 2028.
Industry representatives in Brazil said the quota awarded to the country’s beef exporters was lower than the volumes shipped to China last year.
According to Brazilian trade-body ABIEC (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries), the country’s beef processors exported 1.7 million tons to China last year. The shipments amounted to just over 48% of China’s beef imports, ABIEC added.
The quota awarded to Brazil stands at 1.1 million tons, the organisation said.
“In this scenario, adjustments are necessary throughout the entire chain, from production to export, to avoid broader impacts,” ABIEC said.
“ABIEC and CNA [The Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil] will continue to monitor the implementation of the measures, working directly with the Brazilian Government and Chinese authorities to reduce the damage that this surcharge will cause to Brazilian livestock farmers and exporters and to preserve the historically practiced trade flow.”
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) said China’s new quotas could cut Australia’s beef exports to the country by around a third. The industry organisation said that represented “trade worth over A$1bn” ($668.6m).
AMIC said Australian beef accounted for 8% of China’s beef imports in 2024. Nearly 80% of beef shipped to China comes from South America, it added.
“This decision will have a severe impact on trade flows to China over the duration of the measures’ enforcement, disrupt the longstanding relationships fostered under the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement and restrict the ability for Chinese consumers to access safe and reliable Australian beef,” Tim Ryan, the CEO of AMIC, said.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said the new “safeguard measures” would be “gradually relaxed at fixed time intervals during the implementation period” up to the end of 2028.
