Global beef exports to China remain below 200,000 tons per month

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.

Of that total, some 145 150 thousand tons (Argentina’s figure is not yet known) sailed from Mercosur and are expected to reach their destination mainly in June. A further 29,000 tons departed from Oceania, which has a shorter transit time.

Monthly exports to China are clearly trailing the country’s projected needs, given the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2025 import forecast of 3.825 million carcass weight tons—equivalent to about 245,000 tons in shipment weight each month.