Tariffs, Quotas And Registration Hurdles Limit US Beef Access To China
Brownfield
The head of the US Meat Export Federation says China’s recently announced tariffs on imports of beef are misguided. Dan Halstrom says the government is doing it to address inflationary pressures. “However, they should be looking at it from, in our opinion, let’s bolster consumer confidence in China,” he says. “Because there’s enough demand in China for all parties, Brazil, Australia, the US.”
China’s tariff rate quote for beef imports for 2026 is 2.7 million metric tons, for the U.S. specifically it is 164,000 metric tons. The duty rate for U.S. beef is 22 percent, should exports exceed the quota, the duty rate jumps to 77 percent.
Halstrom tells Brownfield the TRQ may impact U.S. beef exports to the country eventually. “But it’s really a moot point today because we don’t have access anyway,” he says. Registrations for 489 U.S. facilities eligible to export U.S. beef into China expired at the end of March 2025. “We have to get these beef plants re-listed, re-registered,” he says.
While this could shift global supplies, he says it’s not likely to ease beef prices for U.S. consumers, because of the mix of products that are typically exported. “It’s not like a lot of these pieces can just go into the U.S. market and help,” he says. “If you go start grinding rounds for the domestic market, I’ll guarantee you the price would be much lower than what we’re able to get into China.”
China’s new tariffs went into effect January 1 and will impact Brazil, Australia, Uruguay, New Zealand, and the U.S, and will be in place for three years.