This has been done as part of a three-year safeguard designed to protect its domestic cattle industry and took effect on January 1, 2026. The Ministry of Commerce said the measure follows a December 2024 investigation that concluded rising beef imports were harming local producers.
The 2026 import quota is 2.7 million tonnes, with limits to increase annually before expiring. China imported a record 2.87 million tonnes of beef in 2025, while the new quota was already lower than combined imports from Brazil and Australia in the first 11 months of 2025, raising concerns among exporters.
According to reporting from Food Business, Meat & Livestock Australia said Australian shipments were not responsible for any alleged injury to China’s market and warned the tariff would significantly affect Chinese customers, adding that it would work with importers, industry groups and the Australian government to manage the impact while continuing to promote Australian red meat.
Food Business also shared that Erin Borror, Vice President of Economic Analysis at U.S. Meat Export Federation, also criticised the move, saying U.S. beef already faces high prices and existing tariffs, and noted that even as the industry seeks to relist more than 30 suspended plants and restore access to China, the safeguard could still be triggered based on July 2021 to June 2024 import averages.
Analysts warn that the measure could distort global trade by forcing Brazilian and Australian beef into other markets once their quotas are filled.
