CHICAGO, IL – U.S. beef sales to China have taken a nose dive after Beijing allowed the expiration of registrations that had permitted exports from hundreds of American meat facilities.
Beijing requires food exporters to register with customs to sell products in China.
Meanwhile, Beijing has renewed registrations that allow hundreds of U.S. pork and poultry facilities to export to China. The renewals for poultry and pork are a relief to U.S. producers and meat companies as they navigate trade disputes with major agricultural importers, including China and Canada, under President Donald Trump.
The tit-for-tat tariff dispute has also raised duties on U.S. meat and other goods shipped to China, making the products less attractive to Chinese buyers. Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs on some $21 billion worth of American farm goods this month, including 10% duties on U.S. pork, beef and dairy.
China’s customs website earlier showed registrations for more than 1,000 U.S. meat plants granted by China under the 2020 “Phase 1” trade deal lapsed on Sunday. That was roughly two-thirds of all those registered.
The trade deal ended the previous U.S.-China trade war under the first Trump administration, with a pledge from Beijing to boost its purchases of U.S. goods and services, including meat, by $200 billion over two years. China did not reach the target,
In 2024, the U.S. was China’s third-largest meat supplier by volume, trailing Brazil and Argentina and accounting for 9% of China’s total meat imports. U.S. meat shipments to China reached $2.5 billion last year, making it the second largest exporter by value.
