Australian beef imports to China will incur an additional 55% tariff starting June 20 after shipments reached the annual quota put in place under China’s safeguard mechanism.
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued country-specific quotas for beef imports to safeguard its local beef industry. Australian imports reached 100% of the quota in an announcement made on June 18, 2026. The additional 55% tariff is applied on the third day after the threshold is reached.
MOFCOM had issued a notice on June 2 after Australian beef imports reached 90% of the annual quota.
The country-specific safeguard measures apply to all major beef exporting countries such as Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand, and the US.
