The Global Livestock Report

The combination of high prices and larger production volumes sharply boosted revenues in Uruguay’s beef cattle sector, surpassing US$ 3.4 billion for the first time ever and posting a strong 35% annual increase. Compared with 2022, when the previous record was set, revenues are up 15%.

Brazilian cattle production is expected to enter a new phase of the cycle in 2026, following several years of expanding supply. According to projections from Agrifatto, next year would mark the first annual contraction after four consecutive years of growth, as a result of the heavy female liquidation recorded in recent years. The high share of cows in slaughter reduced replacement rates and the number of animals available for finishing.

The protection measures for China’s domestic beef production that the government has been reviewing for the past year would be announced on December 30 (or later) and would come into force as of January 1, potentially with retroactive effect, according to a document issued by the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) following a meeting held on December 23 between China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DAFT).

China sharply reduced tariffs last week on pork imports from the European Union, valued at more than US$ 2.0 billion, in the final decision of an antidumping investigation widely seen as a response to EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Reuters reported.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, continues to signal to Mercosur diplomats its interest in negotiating a free trade agreement with the South American bloc, even while acknowledging that such a deal remains out of reach for now.

The sharp decline in imports of beef offal from Uruguay meant that the United States, despite not recording a significant volume, became the main supplier of these products to the Chinese market in November.