The Global Livestock Report

China’s Ministry of Commerce concluded its safeguard investigation into beef imports and confirmed that rising imports caused serious injury to the domestic beef industry, establishing a direct causal link.

Last week, the Chinese government set the daily reference rate for the yuan at a level that came in below market estimates by a record margin, in the latest signal of policymakers’ intention to curb the currency’s appreciation. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) set the so-called yuan “fixing” at 7.0358 per dollar, below the average estimate of traders and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Prices for finished cattle for slaughter remained unchanged in the final week of 2025, amid very limited business activity due to the holiday period and leave taken by part of the meatpacking industry as well as cattle operations.

Prices for export cattle held at the previous week’s levels. Steers of the best beef quality, British-breed crossbreds, continue to trade around Ar$ 7,600–7,800 per kilo carcass weight, while zebu-cross steers range between Ar$ 7,300 and 7,600 per kilo.

Argentina will close 2025 with exports of 900,000 tons carcass weight equivalent, with slaughter close to 13.5 million head, said Georges Breitschmitt, president of the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA).

Expectations that the market would tilt in favor of demand because of lower slaughter activity in the final two weeks of the year did not materialize.