“China is still extremely weak, with bids between US$/t 200–300 below what exporters are asking,” said a Brazilian trader in conversation with World Beef Report (WBR).

The shortage of Argentine supply continued to be the main driver behind another upward step in rump & loin Hilton prices. Import market sources reported deals in a range of US$/t 18,800–19,200 FOB, although by Tuesday several exporters were already asking US$/t 19,500 for new loads.

According to a Uruguayan exporter, the U.S. market “is trying to return to normal demand levels” after the tariff storm. Speaking with WBR, he added that, in his view, prices remain stable, with a reference for a 90 CL out of quota at US$/t 5,600–5,700 FOB, and about US$/t 200–300 more for a 95 CL. These are US$ 200–300 higher than in mid-August, when the market began to show more dynamism.

The Chilean beef market remains stable in September, with the dollar at 967/970 pesos and no logistical issues, as the Paso Libertadores remains open and “all beef is entering smoothly,” an operator told WBR.

The prices Russia is offering for liver, at US$/t 1,950 CFR, are not convincing Uruguayan exporters, according to a trader.

A Brazilian exporter considered that the prices appearing for forequarter and round cuts from MENA countries “are poor” to make it an attractive business.

The cattle price gap between Brazil and Uruguay has increased interest in closing import deals from the latter.

Cattle slaughter in Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) totaled around 4.15 million head. This figure is slightly below that of the same month last year, after having remained marginally above on a year-over-year basis in the previous months of 2025.

The overwhelming defeat of the ruling party in the province of Buenos Aires, where 40% of Argentina’s population resides, generated volatility and uncertainty in the markets, with a 3.7% drop in the country’s exchange rate that impacted cattle price references not only in Argentina but also in the regional average.

Although below July’s record, Brazilian beef exports are still advancing at a rapid pace compared to last year’s volumes. In August, according to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), Brazil shipped 268,563 tons shipment weight of beef, 8.3 thousand tons less than July’s record but 51 thousand tons above August 2024.

China continued absorbing a huge volume of Brazilian beef in August. According to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), 158,055 tons shipment weight were sent to this destination, almost the same volume as in July and accounting for 66% of frozen beef exports.

Beef exports to the United States collapsed to 5,951 tons in August, nearly half of July’s volume and 86% below the April peak, about 36 thousand tons less. The additional 40% tariff increase applied to shipments starting on August 6 —bringing the total to 76.4%— has practically made this trade flow unviable.

European demand for Brazilian beef remained at high levels in August. Secex reported exports of nearly 10 thousand tons combining chilled (1,935 t) and frozen (7,704 t), almost the same volume as in July and at the highest levels in more than 15 years.

The pace of beef exports remained very strong in the first week of September. According to figures from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), Brazil shipped 78,339 tons of beef on a shipment weight basis at an average FOB value of US$/t 5,555.

Indonesia authorized 17 new Brazilian slaughter plants to export beef to the country, raising the total number of approved facilities from 21 to 38, an 80% increase. The decision followed inspections carried out by Indonesian sanitary authorities in Brazil in August, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

In August 2025, the state of Mato Grosso sent 660.74 thousand cattle to slaughter, a monthly increase of 0.65%, according to Indea data released by the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea). Females accounted for 45.62% of total cattle slaughtered, a drop of 5.05 percentage points compared to the previous month.

Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), the country’s antitrust authority, approved last Friday, without restrictions, the merger between Brazilian meat companies Marfrig and BRF, creating a multinational with annual revenues of 152 billion reais (about 28 billion dollars).

BRF is one of the world’s largest producers of poultry and pork, as well as processed foods, while Marfrig is one of the world’s largest beef producers.

BRF announced last Tuesday a statement from Salic, reporting that the Saudi government’s investment company sold its equity stake in the owner of the Sadia and Perdigão brands, but purchased derivatives representing the same stake it sold, reported MoneyTimes.

Brazilian poultry exports in August totaled 374 thousand tons, nearly the same volume as in July and above the June low of 314 thousand tons, when the country suffered the greatest impact from the avian influenza case on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, held a meeting with the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, André de Paula, and the European Union’s Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, via videoconference. During the meeting, the commissioner officially announced that the European bloc recognized Brazil as free of avian influenza, a decision that allows the resumption of chicken meat exports to EU member states.

The beginning of the month was not enough to resume the upward trend in slaughter cattle prices. The average value of the finished male in the main cattle-producing states remained stable at R$/@ 298.4, according to references from Scot Consultoria, free of the Funrural tax and with 30 days for payment.

Marcelo Secco, CEO of Marfrig Group for the Southern Cone of America, took part in the fifth edition of the “Let’s talk about the cattle business” conference, organized by the Rural Association of Uruguay together with Valor Agregado from Radio Carve and Rurales El País, during the Expo Prado. There, the executive analyzed the current meat market situation. “We can’t live wondering if there’s a ghost under the sheet,” he said when asked about the current cattle price situation in Uruguay and what happened in 2022, when after record highs were reached, prices collapsed abruptly.

After a moderate slowdown during August, live cattle exports are beginning to pick up again this week, with a vessel loading pregnant heifers for Turkey, to be followed next week by two more, one also bound for Turkey and another for Morocco.

According to information published by the National Meat Institute (INAC), in August 412 tons of lamb meat were processed by the packing industry, with prices ranging from US$ 4.38 to a maximum of US$ 6.42 per kilo carcass weight. The highest value for special lambs was recorded in the penultimate week of the month, with two tons sold above US$ 6.00.

The slaughter cattle market continues to be very firm, driven by a minimal supply of grassfed animals, which is reflected in rising prices and a high proportion of grainfed cattle in the slaughter mix.

The composition of slaughter clearly shows that a significant portion of industrial activity is carried out with animals coming from feedlots. Operators unanimously agree that the supply of grassfed cattle is minimal; however, slaughter was about 10,000 head higher than in the same week last year, with a significant increase across all categories. INAC reported that in the week ending September 6, 42,924 cattle entered plants, 3,579 more (9%) than the previous week —which had been affected by the August 25 holiday— and 34% higher than the same week last year, when just 31,970 cattle were slaughtered.

If cattle supply is limited, sheep availability is even lower. Prices are rising, driven by buying interest from several plants, some more focused on lambs and others on adult animals.

Cattle slaughter in August reached 1.156 million head, 7.3% less than the previous month and 4.8% lower year-on-year. Despite the decline, it was the second highest so far this year, only behind July. Adjusted for business days, about 55,000 head were slaughtered per day in August, 2.9% less than the previous month.

So far this year, 9.01 million cattle have been slaughtered, just 0.3% less than in the first eight months of 2024. However, there are differences by category: this year slaughter of steers rose 10% and heifers 5%, while cow slaughter dropped 10%.

The share of females in cattle slaughter in August was identical to the previous month, 47.2% of the total. The average for the first eight months of 2025 was also 47.2%, slightly below the 48% share in the same period of 2024.

The ruling party’s defeat against Kirchnerism in the legislative elections in the province of Buenos Aires —the country’s most populous district— triggered a rise and volatility in the dollar, which put a brake on cattle supply, already limited in the case of export steers.

The fat cattle market remained firm this week, despite signs of a possible ceiling the previous week after news of three plants scheduled to close in the second half of September. Deals for regular steers are closing around US$ 4.50 per kilo carcass, though in most transactions “premiums” are being paid, while cows are fetching between US$ 4.10 and US$ 4.15.

With shipments to China nearly halted due to a lack of eligible plants, July beef and variety meat exports totaled 89,579 mt, down 19% from a year ago and the lowest in five years. Export value declined 17% to $752.5 million, the lowest since January 2023. From January through July, exports were 8% below last year in volume (691,800 mt) and down 7.5% in value ($5.67 billion), informed Usmef, based in USDA data.

This week’s slaughter expectations will be around 550,000 head. That volume will test the demand side and traders will be watching the box prices for indications of support or the lack of it. Sales volumes last week were only moderate, leaving packers with no excess of inventory entering this week. Asking prices will be higher, The AG Center report said.

Compared to the last market test, beef import prices in the US were moderately to sharply higher. Trading was slow to moderate. Moderate to good demand continued to support prices.

The FAO meat price index averaged 128.0 points in August, 0.7 points (0.6%) higher than in July and 5.9 points (4.9%) above its level a year ago, reaching a new all-time high. The increase was driven by rising beef and sheepmeat prices, which offset the near stability of pigmeat quotations and the decline in poultry meat prices.

The Federation of Rural Associations of Mercosur (FARM), which brings together producers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, expressed its support for the prompt ratification of the Trade Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union.

Although Australian beef exports remain on an upward trajectory year-on-year, in August shipments abroad contracted by around 15 thousand tons compared to the record set in July.

Farmgate beef cattle and sheep prices reached record levels in August in New Zealand and have continued to climb, with the AgriHQ average indicator price for a prime steers reaching NZ$8.85/kg, informed Farmers Weekly.

On September 5, 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties on pork and pork by-products from the European Union, with rates ranging from 15.6% to 62.4%. The measure will come into force on September 10 and affects trade valued at more than 2 billion dollars annually, informed portal pig333.com.

Although shipments from other regions of the world declined, beef exports from Mercosur to China remained large in August, keeping volumes high, though below July levels.

The USDA office in Beijing sharply reduced its estimate for China’s beef imports this year and projected a higher volume in 2026, although still below the 2024 record. In the update of 2025 data, the USDA office lowered beef import expectations from 3.825 million tons carcass weight to 3.4 million tons, citing weaker-than-previously-expected demand. It will be the first year of decline since the strong growth began in the middle of the past decade.

China's top legislative body on Monday began reviewing the first revision in more than two decades of the country's foreign trade law, as Beijing seeks to give legal backing to countermeasures it can take in a trade conflict.

Japan’s beef industry faces challenges in 2026 as the domestic cattle herd declines, resulting in reduced slaughter and inventory, said the USDA office in Tokyo. Slaughter is projected at 1.065 million head in 2026, below the 1.1 million estimation for the current year and the 1.115 million figure for 2024.