Each Brazil Beef Company could Ship 8,000 MT Annually to China

Brazil's government could back a plan that would allow individual beef exporters to each ship at least 8,000 metric tons of products to China per year, according to a legal opinion seen by Ana Mano of Reuters.

Brazil's government could create a technical reserve to accommodate beef exporters that were not eligible to export to China last year but could qualify this year

The South American country's beef sector was left scrambling after Beijing imposed an extra 55% tariff on beef exports that exceeded quota levels from key suppliers like Brazil.

The measure, which also affects exporters such as Australia and the US, took effect on Jan. 1 and will last for three years.

“There will be a minimum quota of 8,000 tons per year per company to make exports viable for smaller meat-processing plants,” law firm Barral Parente Pinheiro said in a legal opinion issued on Feb. 5 on behalf of industry group ABIEC, which backs the introduction of individual quotas.

The total Chinese import quota for 2026 for countries covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7 million tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87 million tons it imported overall in 2024.

As per Beijing's announcement, Brazil's import quota will be 1.106 million tons in 2026, 1.128 million tons in 2027, and 1.151 million tons in 2028.

Brazil's government could also create a technical reserve to accommodate beef exporters that were not eligible to export to China last year but could qualify this year, the opinion said.