China halts meat imports from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay
Photo: Unsplash.
On Monday, March 3, the Chinese customs authorities’ website announced that beef imports from facilities in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay had been suspended. This marks a significant shift in China’s import policies, as these countries were among the largest beef suppliers to the Asian nation, accounting for 2.87 million metric tons of beef, according to customs data from 2024.
The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China did not explain this suspension. The affected exporters include two Argentine companies: Frigorífico Regional General Las Heras SA and Frio Dock SA; three Brazilian suppliers: Frisa Frigorífico Rio Doce, Bon-Mart Frigorífico Ltda, and JBS; and one Uruguayan facility, Frigorífico Sirsil SA.
Media outlets such as La Nación (Argentina) suggest that these new trade measures are a response to last year’s high import volumes, which led to an oversupply of foreign beef in China, affecting domestic meat prices. As a result, and according to La Nación, there have been complaints to the Ministry of Commerce in China requesting a review to determine whether rising imports have been excessive or have negatively impacted the local market and Chinese cattle farmers.
Main Source:
China suspende importación de productos cárnicos de Brasil, Argentina y Uruguay – América Economía
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