China says Brazil has already filled over 30% of 2026 beef import quota

The Chinese government on Friday (March 20) released official beef import data from the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs (GACC) for January and February 2026.

According to the figures, China imported 372,080 tonnes of beef from Brazil this year, with 211,290 tonnes in January and 160,780 tonnes in February. That volume represents 33.64% of the 1.1 million-tonne quota imposed on Brazilian meatpackers in 2026. The data was compiled and released by the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (Abiec).

According to Datamar, China currently accounts for 56% of Brazil’s beef exports. This level of market concentration is prompting the national industry to seek alternatives to mitigate the challenges posed by new Chinese export quotas.

The following chart provides a month-over-month comparison of Brazilian beef shipments (in containers) to China from 2022 through 2025, based on data from Datamar’s DataLiner platform

Beef Exports to China | Jan 2022 – Dec 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The high rate of quota use so early in the year has raised concern among Brazilian exporters, who want tighter government monitoring of shipments to China.

The figures differ from Brazil’s official tally recorded by the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex). The Brazilian government considers that 229,850 tonnes of beef were shipped to China in the first two months of the year, with 123,150 tonnes in January and 106,700 tonnes in February.

Chinese authorities, however, monitor what actually entered the country during the period. Many cargoes left Brazilian ports in 2025 and only arrived in China in 2026, after the quota was announced.

This was one of the main concerns raised by exporters with the Brazilian government as early as January. Meatpackers asked the ministries of Agriculture, Development, Industry, Trade and Services, and Foreign Affairs to negotiate with China over how the quota would be applied. The request was that shipments made in 2025 should be excluded, but that did not happen.

In a statement, Abiec said the figures show a fast pace of quota use, with 33.64% already filled in the first two months, which “raises a warning sign for export performance over the rest of the year.”

The association said it is assessing the situation cautiously, but expressed concern about the “speed of use, which could generate relevant impacts in the medium term, especially in the second half.”

Abiec renewed its request for the Brazilian government to adopt mechanisms to monitor quota utilization. In February, the association called for the creation of an official quota control system. The Agriculture Ministry sent a letter to the Foreign Trade Chamber (Camex) supporting the request, but the measure has not yet been voted on.

“Abiec reinforces the importance of the Brazilian government adopting mechanisms to more closely monitor the evolution of this scenario, in light of the safeguards established by China. These measures are essential to ensure greater predictability, commercial balance and security in relations between the two countries,” the association said in a statement.

According to Chinese government data, overall beef imports have already consumed 23.36% of the 2.68 million-tonne quota set for 2026. Besides Brazil, Australia and Argentina are also moving quickly toward filling their allowed volumes.

Argentine exports have already reached 103,200 tonnes, equivalent to 20.2% of its annual quota of 511,000 tonnes. Australia exported 71,900 tonnes, about 35% of its total authorized volume for the year, 205,000 tonnes.

Chinese imports of beef from Uruguay totaled 35,100 tonnes, or 10.8% of its 205,000-tonne annual quota, while imports from New Zealand reached 19,300 tonnes, equivalent to 9.3% of its 206,000-tonne quota.

By contrast, trade with the United States is virtually at a standstill. China recorded the entry of just 332 tonnes of U.S. beef in the first two months of 2026, about 0.2% of the 164,000-tonne quota allocated to U.S. meatpackers.

Source: Rafael Walendorff, Global Rural

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