China Investigates Beef Imports

We’re taking our news focus across the pond today and focusing on China as it looks at the U.S. and all of its other trading partners. In an update from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, they report that China has launched an investigation into beef imports from their trading partners to help determine whether a surge in shipments from overseas has hurt their domestic animal agriculture industry. China is the largest importer and consumer of meat in the world, meaning this will be a long and complicated investigation involving multiple countries. Chinese consumer demand for U.S. beef has been strong in the past few years and is continuing to grow as more Chinese consumers incorporate beef into their diets.

Why does it matter? From NCBA, they tell us that U.S. beef is desired in foreign markets because of its high-quality attributes and its strong reputation of being safe. Unlike Brazil and other major beef suppliers who primarily sell large volumes of grass-finished beef to the Chinese market, the U.S. sells high-quality, grain-finished beef to Chinese consumers, which is a different product with a different flavor profile. As China’s investigation unfolds, NCBA states that they will be monitoring the situation.