Brazil’s beef exports to China surge as Trump’s tariffs shift global demand

Brazil’s beef exports to China are on the rise as part of the Asian nation’s larger strategy to avoid agricultural goods from the United States amid their ongoing trade dispute.

Brazil’s beef exports to China rose 38.3 percent in September from a year earlier, reaching 187,340 tonnes, the industry group Abrafrigo said on Wednesday, helping push total monthly exports to a record high.

Global demand for beef has helped Brazil offset the impact of US tariffs on its exports, Abrafrigo said. In August, the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on several Brazilian goods, including beef, which already had a 26.4 percent levy.

Latin America’s largest economy has been expanding exports to both new and traditional markets amid a global trade reshuffle triggered by US tariffs with similar trends also seen in soya bean exports, which also reached record volumes.

Total beef exports, including fresh and processed meat, edible offal and tallow, generated $1.92bn in revenue in September with volumes reaching 373,867 tonnes, up 49 percent in value and 17 percent in volume year-on-year.

“This strong performance came in the second month of additional tariffs imposed by the US on Brazilian products, showing the sector’s resilience and ability to seize new commercial opportunities,” Abrafrigo said.

Exports to the US, Brazil’s second largest beef market, fell 41 percent year-to-date in September to $102.9m.

The European Union became the second largest destination last month, led by Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. EU purchases totalled $131.7m, up 106 percent from a year earlier.