Australian beef will soon be hit by 55% tariff in China, ministry says

China’s imports of Australian beef are about to surpass a quota introduced by Beijing to protect domestic farmers

Australian beef will soon be subject to an additional 55 per cent import duty in China, with shipments of the meat about to surpass an annual quota set by Beijing, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Tuesday.

Imports of Australian beef have already reached 90 per cent of this year’s quota, meaning that a tariff adjustment will soon be triggered, the ministry announced via an alert.

The policy sets an annual quota for beef imported from a string of countries – including Australia, Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Uruguay and the United States – with a 55 per cent levy kicking in once the quota is reached.

Under the system, 205,000 tonnes of Australian beef could be imported to China with low tariffs in 2026. Chinese authorities will begin charging the 55 per cent duty three days after the threshold is passed, the ministry said.

China’s beef industry has been hit by a downturn in demand in recent years, as falling import prices erode domestic producers’ cost advantages and dampen processors’ appetite for local meat, according to a report released by market information provider Sublime China Information (SCI) last week.