Beijing’s renewal of import licences for US beef plants comes as Brazil nears its annual quota cap and scrambles for alternative markets
2-MIN READ2-MIN1 ListenIgor Patrickin Rio de JaneiroPublished: 4:46am, 15 May 2026Brazil’s government expressed concern over China’s renewal of US beef import licences, warning the move could reshape competition in the country’s largest meat export market.A senior Brazilian government official told the South China Morning Post that the renewal brought “anxiety” to the sector and could affect domestic cattle prices. China is Brazil’s largest beef market, and the quota system already reduces the country’s competitiveness, the official said.
The comments came after Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that China had renewed import licences for hundreds of US beef plants during US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
AdvertisementLicences are valid for five years and had been allowed to lapse last year amid the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.The renewal is a reversal from months of frozen trade. Shipments of US beef and related products to China fell about 67 per cent between 2024 and 2025, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Because of this, the US had not used a large share of its quota allocation.
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China announced in December that beef imports above a fixed country-by-country ceiling in 2026 would face a 55 per cent tariff, up from the standard 12 per cent rate.
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