China Imposes 55% Tariff on Australian Beef, Industry Reacts with Disappointment
Effective 1 January 2026, China has imposed a 55% tariff on Australian beef imports exceeding newly established quotas under safeguard measures, set to last for three years.
The total import quota for 2026, applied to Australia, Brazil, the US, and others, is capped at 2.7 million tonnes, closely aligning with China's total beef imports of 2.87 million tonnes in 2024. These quotas are set to increase annually.
The Chinese measures aim to protect the domestic beef industry after the ministry stated that increased imports have damaged it. Notably, the 2026 quota levels are below the import volumes that Australia and Brazil recorded during the first 11 months of 2025.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that the tariff is not targeted specifically at Australia and highlighted that Australian beef remains in strong global demand. However, National Party leader David Littleproud described the tariff as devastating, while Opposition Leader Sussan Ley called for leveraging relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek a carve-out for Australian beef.
The Australian Meat Industry Council characterized the measures as extremely disappointing and unfair, expressing concern about potential disruptions to long-standing trade arrangements under the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Analyst Hongzhi Xu pointed out that China’s beef farming sector is not competitive with suppliers such as Brazil and Argentina, and that the recent changes are unlikely to be reversed quickly.
In 2024, Brazil supplied 1.34 million tonnes of beef to China compared with Australia's 216,050 tonnes. During the first 11 months of 2025, China imported approximately 2.59 million tonnes of beef, with Brazil shipping around 1.33 million tonnes.
Mark Thomas, chair of the Western Beef Association, remarked that other countries are expected to fill the gap left by Australia's reduced exports to China.
