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Australian beef hits its China quota; Brazilian beef at 65% of its quota thru May

China's beef imports during April and May 2026 were about equal to year-earlier volumes, but behind the pace set during January-February. A rebound in shipments by the main supplier--Brazil--suggests that China's beef imports will rebound as well in coming months. 

HS 0201, 0202. China Customs Data.

Imports in the categories specified for China's special safeguard duty program totaled 1.28 million metric tons for January-May 2026, up about 200,000 metric tons from the same period in 2025. Imports primarily consisted of over 1 million metric tons of frozen boneless beef (HS 020230), the category that also accounted for essentially all of the year-over-year increase. Imports of offal, beef fat, canned and prepared beef--not subject to safeguard quotas or duties--totaled 71,000 metric tons, and they were nearly double the quantity from a year earlier. 


China's commerce ministry announced that beef imports from Australia had reached 90% of their quota by June 1. The ministry later announced that Australia's quota was filled on June 18, and 55% safeguard duties would be assessed on Australian beef as of June 20 as specified in the special safeguard documents. 

Brazil supplied most of China's beef imports during January-May 2026. Calculations using January-May customs data indicate that the 724,000 metric tons of imports from Brazil have filled 65% of Brazil's quota for 2026. Imports from Brazil have slowed from 211,280 mt in January to 100,836 mt in April and 110,910 mt in May. However, the pace of exports indicated by Brazilian customs statistics indicates that arrivals from Brazil in China will rebound in June-August, likely filling the Brazilian quota by August.

No other country is close to filling its China beef quota. Imports from Argentina have filled 40% of its quota, and imports from Uruguay and New Zealand have each filled 22% of their quotas. China has only imported about 2,000 metric tons from the United States, about 1% of its quota. 

HS codes 0201, 0202. Quota for China's special safeguard program.

Brazilian comex database. HS 0202.

The average value of imported frozen boneless beef was USD 6.18 per kg for January-May 2026, up 12.7% year-over-year. The average value of beef imports in local currency was RMB 43 per kg for boneless beef and RMB 20 per kg for bone-in. By comparison, the average wholesale price of beef in domestic Chinese markets was at RMB 72 per kg, up 8.3% year-over-year. The cost of fresh/chilled imported beef was higher than domestic wholesale prices. 

Chinese beef prices have been rising. The average domestic wholesale beef price in late June 2026 was RMB 73.49 per kg, up 2.9% from January and up 5.3% from June 2025. 

China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, wholesale market average.


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