China’s frozen beef imports from Mercosur fall by more than 90,000 t

The three Mercosur countries—Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay—are by far the dominant suppliers of frozen beef to China, yet their share slipped in the first quarter of 2025.

Arrivals of frozen beef from Mercosur totaled 479,308 t in the quarter, down 94,000 t (-16.4%) versus the same period last year. Within boneless frozen beef, shipments from Brazil—the leading supplier—dropped 7 % year on year, while volumes from Argentina and Uruguay fell 38% each. For bone-in cuts, imports from Argentina rose 10%, whereas those from Uruguay contracted 34 %.

Among major origins, Australia was the only one to post a significant increase, up 39% year on year to 53,036 t. Colombia also entered the market with 7,710 t after gaining export approval in late 2024.

China imported 681,607 t of fresh beef in the quarter at an average value of US$ 5,116 /t, a 12% decline in volume but a 7% rise in average unit value.