China imposed an additional 55 percent tariff on beef imports that exceed their quota on Jan. 1, according to the country’s commerce ministry. The tariffs include imports from the U.S., Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.

A ministry spokesperson said the measures are aimed at protecting China’s domestic industry rather than restricting normal trade. However, the hefty duties will likely impact trade flows to the country. The tariffs will be in place for the next three years.

Total quotas for all imports are set at 2.69 million metric tons (MMT) for 2026, and will be raised to 2.74 MMT in 2027, and 2.80 MMT in 2028. Quotas for the U.S. is set at 164,000 metric tons for this year. However, U.S. beef exports could experience limited disruptions as a result of the increased levies.

Shipments to China are running 57 percent lower than last year, and are on track to land well below the current tariff rate quota, according to monthly data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

China refusing to renew registrations from U.S. beef processing facilities resulted in lower shipments last year.

Brazil and Australia could be the most exposed to the tariffs due to increased shipments to China over the past year. The Australian Meat Industry Council said the measures could cut its beef exports to China by about a third of recent levels.

That could effectively divert more Australian beef to the U.S. after the White House reduced tariffs on beef imports.
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