"Five years ago, the business was much more about commodities", said said Allison Navarro of Marfrig and BRF during the Sial fair in Shanghai

During the fair’s opening, Fratti was the only cabinet minister from the region present

"Last year we were discussing stocks, with a market that wasn’t moving. This year is different,” said Fausto Brighenti of Ideal Trading, referring to Chinese demand during the Sial fair in Shanghai

Scayola emphasized that INAC “is interested in Allana coming, as well as other important groups,” independent of the Marfrig–Minerva deal

Luis Abero, head of Abasto Saturno, said the goal is to establish a livestock sourcing base in the Florida department and consolidate sales locally, while also working international markets

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Castiglioni said the most likely scenario is a firm market with stable prices

León Li first discovered Uruguayan beef as a young man when he played football in Uruguay

For several years China has been the leading destination by volume for Uruguayan beef and an important market for both bone in and boneless sheepmeat

The fair will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 19 to 21 May 2025

For the fair, IPCVA will stage its classic Argentine Beef Pavilion on more than 1,000 square meters

Brazil is the main supplier of beef imports to China

The governments of the United States and China announced that they had reached an agreement to lower tariffs to 30% and 10%, respectively, for a period of 90 days

It is estimated that slightly under 200,000 tons of beef were shipped to China in April—a volume similar to that of the first three months of the year and well below the 250,000 ton monthly average of the last quarter of 2024.

After three consecutive months of increases, the volume of imported beef held in Chinese cold stores has resumed the contraction seen during the second half of 2024.

As is customary ahead of one of the world’s leading food fairs, SIAL Shanghai, trade with the Asian giant has shifted into “pause mode.” The new edition of SIAL begins next Monday, 19 May, giving meat market players a key face to face to gauge and plan business with China for the weeks ahead.

Another variable emerged this week: after the 90 day tariff truce agreed by the US and China, “many importers expect” the United States to return as a supplier, especially of grainfed beef and offal, a regional trader told World Beef Report (WBR).

OIG+X reports that the average wholesale beef price has risen above US$ 8.50/kg in April, after hovering around US$ 8 in February and March. As shown in the accompanying chart, wholesale beef prices have now moved above lamb prices, reversing the pattern seen in the first quarter of 2025 when beef traded lower.

Uruguay has had, since last week, a Consulate General in Hong Kong that also holds jurisdiction over Macau. “Today is a special day for the ties between my country and Hong Kong, in the context of the comprehensive strategic alliance that binds Uruguay and China,” Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin said as he opened the new Consulate General of Uruguay in Hong Kong, whose remit includes the Macao Special Administrative Region, located some 70 km south west of Hong Kong next to China’s Guangdong province.