United States felt the tariff impact

The arrival of U.S. beef in China was heavily affected by the tariff war. According to GACC data, 5,481 tons of beef entered China from the United States in May, down 57% from the previous month and the lowest volume in several years.

Among the main suppliers to the Chinese market, the only country that increased its monthly volume was Brazil, which rose from 90,082 tons in April to 95,793 in May. The others (Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, and New Zealand) moderately reduced their shipments month-over-month, while other origins saw a more significant drop—from 18 thousand tons in April to 12 thousand in May. This was mainly due to a sharp decline in Bolivian beef arrivals, which fell from 10,700 tons in April to 5,333 tons in May, a 50% drop.

From January to May, the country that significantly increased its beef sales to China was Australia, with a 29% rise in bone-in frozen beef and a 42% increase in boneless frozen beef. Australia is going against the general trend of declining beef exports to China.