China Imposes 55% Tariffs on Excess Beef Imports in 2026

China announced new safeguard measures on Wednesday imposing 55 percent tariffs on beef imports exceeding annual quotas, effective January 1, 2026, for a three-year period. The policy, aimed at protecting the country's domestic beef producers amid surging imports and declining prices, affects major exporters including Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, the United States, and New Zealand. The total import quota for 2026 is set at 2.7 million tonnes, with allocations varying by country and increasing slightly each year to reach 2.8 million tonnes by 2028.

The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing stated that the measures follow a 12-month investigation, extended twice, which concluded that rising beef imports had damaged local producers. Officials emphasized that the tariffs are temporary and moderate, intended to help the domestic industry recover without restricting normal trade. China's beef sector has faced heavy losses since 2023 due to oversupply, reduced demand from economic slowdown, and factors prompting breeders to cull cattle. In 2024, the country imported a record 2.87 million tonnes of beef, with shipments from January to November totaling 2.59 million tonnes, down 0.3...