Shipments of US beef to China plummet

US beef sales to China fell sharply in March after the Chinese government allowed the registrations authorizing exports from hundreds of US processing plants to expire. The lack of renewal has undermined exporters and Chinese buyers’ confidence, who now avoid doing business with meat produced after that date due to uncertainty about customs clearance.

In the week ending March 20, US beef exports to China totaled just 54 metric tons, compared to 192 metric tons the previous week. By contrast, in the four weeks prior to that, volumes were near or above 2,000 metric tons per week, according to USDA data. In addition to the regulatory issue, a tariff dispute between both countries has raised tariffs on US beef and other products, making them less attractive to Chinese importers.