Chinese buyers showed renewed firmness in demand over the past week, with greater willingness to close deals and prices continuing to recover.

A regional trader told World Beef Report (WBR) that some importers continue to submit bids below market levels, while others are accepting current prices. As references, the source reported deals from Uruguay for shin & shank at US$7,900 per ton CFR, the highest value since late May; bone-in navel plate at US$5,000; bone-in brisket at US$4,950; and 80 VL trimmings at US$4,800.

A Paraguayan exporter highlighted strong demand from Taiwan over the past week. “They have a strong appetite to buy,” the source said.

After four weeks of corrections and downward pressure, prices for the Hilton rump & loin set are showing signs of a change in trend.

A European importer reported Hilton rump & loin business from Argentina at US$18,600-18,700 per ton FOB last week. However, the source said Argentine exporters are “firmer” this week, with asking prices once again above US$19,000 FOB, which for now has slowed trading activity.

The US market remains quiet for imported beef, with prices “only slightly above” those of last week.

From Argentina, a trader quoted 90 CL blocks within quota at around US$6,300-6,400 per ton CFR, although trading is being constrained by logistics surrounding the final portion of Argentina’s 20,000-ton quota. Current business is mainly targeting arrivals in the first days of October.

A Brazilian exporter said Russia has shown good momentum in recent weeks and believes importers “made good use of the window of opportunity” before cattle prices rose in Brazil.

The source is currently receiving bids of US$5,900 per ton CIF St. Petersburg for chuck & blade, which were not accepted, and US$7,100 for full silverside. Interest was also reported for offal, although no recent business was concluded.

For MENA countries, a Brazilian exporter told WBR that bids were not sufficiently competitive.

Border crossings into Chile continued to affect shipments from Paraguay, so there was little movement in new business over the past week. “The main concern is moving the beef we currently have held up,” an exporter said.

Slaughter in Mercosur countries, the world’s leading beef-exporting region, is showing a clear and increasingly pronounced downward trend.

Considering export-approved plants in Brazil and Paraguay and slaughter-approved plants in Argentina and Uruguay, 3.71 million cattle were slaughtered in July, around 240,000 fewer (-6%) than in June and 740,000 head fewer (-17%) than a year earlier.

Slaughter cattle prices increased across all four Mercosur countries, pressured by supplies that remain insufficient to meet demand.

With shipments to China absent, Brazilian beef exports began August with a slower pace of sales and a lower average export value.

According to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), in the first week of August Brazil exported at an average pace of almost 10,500 tons per working day, 30% less than in the first week of July.

Brazilian beef exports felt the impact in July of shipments to China coming to a halt after the 1.106 million-ton quota available for this year was filled.

Brazilian beef exports to China contracted sharply in July as shipments to that destination came to a halt once the 2026 quota was filled.

The United States and Russia for frozen beef, together with Chile for chilled beef purchases, are the destinations showing the strongest growth potential for Brazilian exporters now that China’s 2026 quota has been reached.

Brazil is rapidly gaining ground in the Indonesian market, both for beef and beef offal.

The Brazilian beef industry believes the country should retain a share of close to 43% in the allocation of the beef quota established under the Mercosur-European Union agreement.

Cattle slaughter in Mato Grosso totaled 609,830 head in July, down 1.5% from June and 7.1% compared with July 2025, according to Indea data released by IMEA.

The decline was driven by a lower supply of females for slaughter, which totaled 263,140 head, down 12.7% from June and 17.1% from the same month last year. Females accounted for 43.2% of total slaughter.

JBS reported consolidated net revenue of US$23.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 14% year-on-year and a new record for the company.

However, profitability declined. Adjusted EBITDA fell 18.5% to US$1.429 billion, with a margin of 6.0%, compared with 8.4% in the same period a year earlier. Net income attributable to shareholders was negative US$102 million, mainly affected by early bond repayments, US$133 million in antitrust settlements and other non-recurring items.

Expectations that finished cattle prices would decline once Brazil stopped producing for China are not materializing. Production for the Asian country ended several weeks ago, but the main force affecting the market is tight supply rather than weaker demand.

Frigorífico Tacuarembó, an MBRF group plant (formerly Marfrig) and the country’s largest in terms of slaughter volume, became the second Uruguayan plant to lose access to the Chinese market this year, after Frigorífico Santa Jacinto.

Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), in officially announcing the suspension of exports from Frigorífico Tacuarembó to China as of August 6, said it had launched a “thorough investigation” to determine the origin of the incident and identify the livestock farms involved. It also stressed that no similar non-compliance cases have so far been recorded at other meatpacking plants in the country.

China approved imports of meat from Frigorífico Rosario, Rondatel SA, effective August 11, a long-awaited development for the company as it continues moving forward with its process of gaining access to international markets.

The president of the Federation of Meat Industry and Related Workers (Foica) suspects that Minerva’s request to extend unemployment benefits through the end of the year may conceal negotiations over a “restructuring” that would leave Carrasco operating only as a deboning plant, without its own slaughter activity.

On Wednesday, August 12, the Tacuarembó meatpacking plant resumed cattle slaughter after three weeks without activity.

Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) is organizing a cabinet-level simulation exercise on August 11 and 12 to assess how the country would respond to a threat or possible introduction of foot-and-mouth disease.

Very tight supply, further constrained by persistent rainfall that is complicating loadings, remains the main force driving the slaughter cattle market, with prices continuing to rise and steer values steadily approaching US$6 per kilo carcass weight.

Driven by a low number of cows, cattle slaughter fell to its lowest level since late May, 10 weeks ago.

The sheepmeat market continues to show the same characteristics that have prevailed for more than two years: prices gradually trending higher, as a significant share of business is based on the Asociación de Consignatarios de Ganado price list plus a premium. This means prices continue to rise week after week.

According to official figures, cattle slaughter in July was the highest so far this year, at 1.095 million head, 1.7% above the previous month, which had been the highest until then. However, it remained 12.2% below July 2025, which was in turn the highest monthly figure of last year.

Between January and July 2026, 7.118 million cattle were slaughtered, 9.5% less than in the same period of 2025. Steers posted the largest relative decline, down almost 16%, while cows fell 11%, heifers 10%, and the largest category, young steers, declined 8%.

Average slaughter weight reached a new record in July, at 244.3 kilos, up 1.3% from the previous month and 4.7% above July 2025.

Export meatpackers grouped in the ABC consortium reported that their slaughter accounted for 41.2% of the total, unchanged from the previous month but more than 6 percentage points above the 35.0% share recorded in July 2025.

Export cattle prices increased, linked to complications caused by rains and improvements in some markets.

Estrellita Foods SA announced last week the construction of the first meatpacking plant in the department of San Pedro, a project requiring an investment of more than US$40 million that will be located in the district of General Resquín.

Paraguay Type Steer 2.0 improved in July, in a scenario where the higher value generated from beef sales was enough to absorb an increase in the price paid for cattle while also lifting the Industrial Gross Margin (IGM).

Finished cattle prices remain firm in Paraguay and at record highs, in a market characterized by very tight supply and “strong competition” for available lots.

US beef and beef variety meat exports closed June with revenue of US$ 790.1 million, up 3% year-on-year, even though shipment volume fell 6% to 88.59 thousand tons, according to USDA data compiled by USMEF.

Tyson Foods cut its adjusted operating income forecast for fiscal year 2026 to a range of US$ 2.1 billion to US$ 2.3 billion, from its previous estimate of US$ 2.2 billion to US$ 2.4 billion.

The revision reflects worsening losses in the beef division, where the company now expects an adjusted operating loss of between US$ 500 million and US$ 650 million, worse than its previous projection of US$ 350 million to US$ 500 million. In the quarter ended June 27, beef sales volume fell 15.9%, while prices rose 12.1%.

The approach of Labor Day is expected to bring several changes to the US beef market. The new school year is about to begin, cooler weather is approaching and beef demand should start to improve, The AG Center reported.

Compared to the prior market test, US beef import prices were weak to lower, while trading activity remained slow.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the main organization representing UK farmers, called on the government to impose a precautionary ban on imports of Brazilian beef and chicken if Brazil fails to demonstrate to European authorities that its exports comply with antimicrobial-use standards.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 131.1 points in July 2026, up 0.6% from June, driven by cereals, sugar and vegetable oils. In contrast, the Meat Price Index fell 2.8% during the month to 127.7 points, its first monthly decline of 2026, although it remained 0.8% above the same period a year earlier.

The Moroccan government published Decree 2.26.584 on July 27, suspending import duties on live sheep and on beef, sheep meat, goat meat and camel meat through December 31, 2026.

The measure applies to imports from all origins and is aimed at increasing domestic red meat supplies after a 2025 livestock census revealed a decline of close to 30% in the cattle herd, attributed to periods of drought and higher animal feed costs.

Beef export volumes to China fell sharply in July as shipments from Australia and Brazil slowed after both countries filled the quotas allocated to them for this year.

Brazilian exports dropped to almost half the more than 150 thousand tons per month shipped from that origin in May and June. Most of that July volume was probably shipped during the first half of the month. Australian sales totaled less than 7 thousand tons after ranging around 30 thousand tons per month between February and May.

JBS signed a strategic partnership with Danantara Investment Management, the investment arm of Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, to expand its presence in Asia. The agreement provides for a US$ 2.5 billion investment by the fund in a joint venture with JBS operations in Australia and New Zealand, with the possibility of raising an additional US$ 2.5 billion in debt, bringing the potential total value of the transaction to US$ 5 billion to finance acquisitions and expansion projects in Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and other Southeast Asian markets.

At the official opening of the International Animal Protein Show (SIAVS) 2026, Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), André de Paula, highlighted the growth the country has achieved in recent years in animal protein production and exports.