During President Trump’s recent visit to China, it was announced that the beef import licences for US exporters, that had expired since March last year, would be renewed. Some confusion arose because this announcement appeared to be withdrawn but it was confirmed over last weekend and was highlighted in a factsheet on the visit published by the Whitehouse last Sunday.
It announced that “China restored market access for US beef by renewing expired listings of over 400 US beef facilities and adding new listings”.
There remain outstanding issues with some exporters that are suspended and other new exporters have been added to the approved list. There was never any formal suspension of beef imports from the US by China. Suppliers had to have an import license, which runs for five years and is supposed to be renewed automatically.
A large batch had been granted back in March 2020 which fell due for renewal at the end of March last year. At that point, President Trump had announced huge tariffs on US imports from China to which China retaliated with similar tariffs.
Tariff battle
Without any announcement, licences for US beef exporters to China weren’t renewed automatically when they came due though similar licences for US pork suppliers were renewed as they became due.
All of this meant that over the past 14 months, China’s beef imports from the US have dwindled to a fraction of what they were previously.
On one level, the US has managed okay without access to the market in China for beef but the announcement has nevertheless been welcomed by the US Meat Exporters Federation (USMEF) who represent exporting factories
This is illustrated by the China Customs beef import data, supplied by Bord Bia, which shows that in the first quarter of 2024 and 2025, the US supplied almost 32,000 tonnes of beef imports in both years, but in the first quarter of 2026 this had fallen to just 544 tonnes.
On one level, the US has managed okay without access to the market in China for beef but the announcement has nevertheless been welcomed by the US Meat Exporters Federation (USMEF) who represent exporting factories. With the licenses renewed with effect from 15 May, just ahead of the major SIAL Shanghai food show which was taking place over the past week, it is thought exports will resume quickly. US exporters will now have an additional option in Asia along with Korea and Japan for their higher value beef cuts.
US import tariff policy
It hasn’t just been beef exports to China that has been occupying the mind of US beef processors recently. A couple of weeks ago, the administration floated the idea of lifting the 26.4% import tariff on beef. This thinking behind this is that it would help ease consumer beef prices ahead of elections in the autumn. They have increased significantly over the past year as cattle prices have risen, reflecting the fact that the US cattle herd is at 75 year low, and that live imports from Mexico have been cut off because of New World Screwworm.
There was considerable pushback and the idea didn’t go any further but it has resurfaced this week even though there has been no formal proposal so far. If the tariff was to be dropped, there is concern that the US could be over supplied with imported beef, especially from Brazil. It has grown its share of the import market significantly in recent years. Up to the end of the first week of May, USDA import data shows that it supplied 132,433 tonnes of imported beef, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
With an expectation that Brazil’s quota for China may be filled by the mid point of this year, there is a belief that the US will be the target market for a larger volume of Brazilian beef.
Comment
It would be interesting to see if the US beef import tariff was eliminated or reduced, could Irish beef make a breakthrough in the US. While the US had been a market for a few thousand tonnes annually in the past, there are currently only miniscule volumes being exported to that market.
Irish farmers have also an indirect interest in Brazil’s access to the US market. After China and the US, the EU becomes the next target for Brazil’s beef exports which have already been increasing over the past year. Any EU beef imports from Brazil brings their beef into direct competition with Irish beef for market share.
Read more
Trump wrestles with beef
Trump administration backs down on beef import plan
USDA forecasts sharp drop in China’s beef imports
During President Trump’s recent visit to China, it was announced that the beef import licences for US exporters, that had expired since March last year, would be renewed. Some confusion arose because this announcement appeared to be withdrawn but it was confirmed over last weekend and was highlighted in a factsheet on the visit published by the Whitehouse last Sunday.
It announced that “China restored market access for US beef by renewing expired listings of over 400 US beef facilities and adding new listings”.
There remain outstanding issues with some exporters that are suspended and other new exporters have been added to the approved list. There was never any formal suspension of beef imports from the US by China. Suppliers had to have an import license, which runs for five years and is supposed to be renewed automatically.
A large batch had been granted back in March 2020 which fell due for renewal at the end of March last year. At that point, President Trump had announced huge tariffs on US imports from China to which China retaliated with similar tariffs.
Tariff battle
Without any announcement, licences for US beef exporters to China weren’t renewed automatically when they came due though similar licences for US pork suppliers were renewed as they became due.
All of this meant that over the past 14 months, China’s beef imports from the US have dwindled to a fraction of what they were previously.
On one level, the US has managed okay without access to the market in China for beef but the announcement has nevertheless been welcomed by the US Meat Exporters Federation (USMEF) who represent exporting factories
This is illustrated by the China Customs beef import data, supplied by Bord Bia, which shows that in the first quarter of 2024 and 2025, the US supplied almost 32,000 tonnes of beef imports in both years, but in the first quarter of 2026 this had fallen to just 544 tonnes.
On one level, the US has managed okay without access to the market in China for beef but the announcement has nevertheless been welcomed by the US Meat Exporters Federation (USMEF) who represent exporting factories. With the licenses renewed with effect from 15 May, just ahead of the major SIAL Shanghai food show which was taking place over the past week, it is thought exports will resume quickly. US exporters will now have an additional option in Asia along with Korea and Japan for their higher value beef cuts.
US import tariff policy
It hasn’t just been beef exports to China that has been occupying the mind of US beef processors recently. A couple of weeks ago, the administration floated the idea of lifting the 26.4% import tariff on beef. This thinking behind this is that it would help ease consumer beef prices ahead of elections in the autumn. They have increased significantly over the past year as cattle prices have risen, reflecting the fact that the US cattle herd is at 75 year low, and that live imports from Mexico have been cut off because of New World Screwworm.
There was considerable pushback and the idea didn’t go any further but it has resurfaced this week even though there has been no formal proposal so far. If the tariff was to be dropped, there is concern that the US could be over supplied with imported beef, especially from Brazil. It has grown its share of the import market significantly in recent years. Up to the end of the first week of May, USDA import data shows that it supplied 132,433 tonnes of imported beef, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
With an expectation that Brazil’s quota for China may be filled by the mid point of this year, there is a belief that the US will be the target market for a larger volume of Brazilian beef.
Comment
It would be interesting to see if the US beef import tariff was eliminated or reduced, could Irish beef make a breakthrough in the US. While the US had been a market for a few thousand tonnes annually in the past, there are currently only miniscule volumes being exported to that market.
Irish farmers have also an indirect interest in Brazil’s access to the US market. After China and the US, the EU becomes the next target for Brazil’s beef exports which have already been increasing over the past year. Any EU beef imports from Brazil brings their beef into direct competition with Irish beef for market share.
Read more
Trump wrestles with beef
Trump administration backs down on beef import plan
USDA forecasts sharp drop in China’s beef imports
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