China headaches for US beef exports
Tariffs and hold-ups on renewing Chinese government approval of US beef plants mean exports of beef from the US to China have ground to a halt.
The US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said at the start of June that, while discussions about longer-term trade relations between China and the US continue, China has continued to impose tariffs on imports of US beef. The current rate is 32%.
At the same time, it said the central government in Beijing has, in many cases, been slow to renew the registrations that US beef plants require to be approved for exports to China. Most US beef-producing plants’ eligibility for exports to China expired in mid-March.
As a result, USMEF said US beef exports to China “have been largely haunted”.
USMEF said its representatives around the world were working hard to find alternative markets for beef that was destined for China.
In the first quarter of 2025, the US exported 53,039 tonnes of beef to China, an increase in volume of 4%. These shipments had a value of $468.7 million, steady with the figure for the same quarter last year.
