China expands dominance in Brazilian beef exports as U.S. share drops after tariff hike

In addition to being the main destination for Brazilian soybean and iron ore exports, China is now also the country’s largest buyer of meat. Under the impact of the U.S. tariff hike, China’s share in Brazil’s meat exports rose significantly in September.

In 2024, China accounted for 51.3% of all Brazilian beef exports, including fresh, chilled, and frozen products. The United States ranked second, with 8.1% of Brazilian shipments.

Brazilian Beef Exports to China | Jan 2022 to Aug 2025 | TEU

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From January to September 2025, the overall ranking of beef importers remained largely unchanged. The U.S. remained the second-largest destination, accounting for 8.3% of exports, while China led with 52.9% and Mexico ranked third with 4.5%.

However, in September, the tariff hike redirected a significant portion of beef sales from the U.S. to China, according to data from Brazil’s Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex/Mdic).

The U.S. share of Brazilian fresh, chilled, or frozen beef exports fell sharply from 8.9% to 2.4% between September 2024 and the same month in 2025. Meanwhile, China’s share increased from 52.9% to 59.5% — meaning that nearly all the lost U.S. share was absorbed by Chinese buyers.

Brazilian Beef Exports to the United States | Jan 2022 to Aug 2025 | TEU

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As a result, Mexico became Brazil’s second-largest beef market in September, with a 4.2% share — up from 2% in the same month last year.

Brazil’s beef exports to China totaled US$1.1 billion in September, up 75.5% from the same period in 2024. Shipments to Mexico grew even faster — 220.9% — though from a lower base, reaching US$73.4 million. Exports to the U.S. dropped 58%, to US$42.2 million.

Overall, Brazil’s beef exports rose sharply, totaling US$1.8 billion in September, a 55.6% increase year-on-year. From January to September, exports reached US$11.4 billion, a 37.3% increase from the same period in 2024.

Source: Valor Econômico

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