Bolivia suspended beef exports and warns of million-dollar losses

Last week, the National Chamber of Exporters of Bolivia (Caneb) warned that the government’s temporary suspension of beef exports is causing the industry to lose half a million dollars per day. “The Caneb is on alert; we share the concern affecting primarily the ranchers in eastern Bolivia. We do not understand the government’s actions. We worked to enhance exports and were on the right track, but I want to be clear: the impact will exceed US$500,000 per day,” said Caneb’s manager, Marcelo Olguín, as reported by Infobae.

On Wednesday, President Luis Arce’s government imposed a temporary ban on beef exports to force a drop in domestic meat prices and ensure supply at a “fair price.” The Minister of Productive Development and Plural Economy, Néstor Huanca, made the announcement to the media and added that controls will be intensified to prevent cattle and meat from being sent abroad “illegally.”

Local press figures indicate that the price per kilo of beef increased over the past year from 41 bolivianos (US$5.80) to 60 (US$8.57). Initially, the government attributed the price hike to weather-related factors and asserted that prices would soon stabilize.

Last year, Bolivia significantly increased its beef exports to China—its main market—by 54%, reaching 107 thousand tons.

According to GACC data, an average of 9 thousand tons of Bolivian beef entered China per month in 2024.