Australian beef exports facing 55 per cent tariff in China

Australian beef exports to China could be hit with a further 55 per cent tariff within days if they surpass new quotas.

From January, Chinese authorities imposed limits on beef shipments from overseas in a move aimed at protecting local farmers and producers.

Australia’s beef import quota for this year was set at 205,000 tonnes.

When that mark is exceeded, a 55 per cent trade impost comes into force.

Chinese authorities this week issued a notice to Australia warning it had already reached 90 per cent of its fixed limit.

China has been a key market worth billions of dollars for beef producers in regional Australia.

Exports from Queensland have exceeded $4.4 billion since 2022.

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Producers are worried quotas could constrain market access, increasing uncertainty for exporters.

China introduced the quota for Australia and other countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina when the Trump administration introduced tariffs on beef imports to the US.

It resulted in a large volume of beef being redirected from the American market into China. Sold at cheap prices it had an immediate impact on Chinese producers.