Beijing March 4 2025: China’s customs authorities suspended beef imports from seven companies in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Mongolia on Monday amid record imports last year that led to an oversupply and heavy losses at farms.
In a notice on its website, China’s General Administration of Customs said it has suspended the import declaration from two Argentine exporters – Frigorífico Regional General Las Heras S.A. and Frio Dock S.A. – and three Brazilian suppliers: Frisa Frigorífico Rio Doce S/A, Bon-Mart Frigorifico Ltda, and JBS S/A.
JBS (JBSS3.SA) declined to comment, referring to the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec), which represents the sector.
According to Abiec, all the companies involved failed to meet Chinese requirements for the registration of foreign establishments, though the association did not elaborate further.
Abiec said it was in discussions with relevant authorities to resolve the matter.
Uruguay’s Frigorífico Sirsil S.A. and one Mongolian supplier were also affected. China’s customs administration gave no reason for the suspensions.
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are among China’s largest beef suppliers.
China’s Commerce Ministry launched an investigation into surging beef imports late last year, as the world’s largest meat importer and consumer grappled with an oversupplied market that hammered domestic beef prices to multi-year lows.
In 2024, China imported a record 2.87 million metric tons of beef, customs data showed.
The surge in imports has heightened the risk of trade measures by Beijing, which could affect major suppliers Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and the United States.
The industry is awaiting the official results of the investigation, expected later this year.
