Global Demand for Australian Beef Surges During US-China Tariff War

Australian beef exports hit new record in April 2025, with total volume reaching 127,172 tonnes.

Beef is displayed for sale at a butcher shop in Melbourne, Australia on April 4, 2025. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Australian beef exports hit a new record in April amid the ongoing tariff war between the United States and China.

According to new data from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), a marketing and research service provider, the total volume of Australian beef exports in April 2025 was 127,172 tonnes.

This was an increase of 21 percent compared to the same period last year and the highest volume for April on record.

North America continued to be Australia’s largest market for beef products, with the United States importing 37,213 tonnes (up 37 percent) and Canada 3,322 tonnes (up 40 percent).

In addition, grain-fed beef exports reached 37,037 tonnes, up 27 percent compared to April 2024 and the highest monthly volume ever recorded.

The MLA said Australian producers had been steadily developing their grain-fed beef supply for decades, and this increase in supply streamed into overall exports, lifting the whole sector.

China became the largest export market for Australian grain-fed beef, buying 62 percent more, or 12,151 tonnes, in April.

Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea also continued to show strong demand for Australian grain-fed beef as they imported 9,918 tonnes (down 8 percent) and 6,882 tonnes (up 46 percent), respectively, during the month.

Tim Jackson, a global supply analyst at MLA, previously said Australia continued to enjoy a strong reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality red meat.

“The global supply landscape was favourable for Australia, with beef exports from the United States easing as the American cattle herd reached a 72-year low following years of drought,” he said.

“Global economic pressures continue to affect consumer confidence. However, high levels of trust and an industry-wide dedication to quality has driven demand for Australian red meat internationally.”

US Beef Exports to China Halt

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. beef exports to China in the week ending March 20 stood at 54 tonnes, a considerable drop compared to the 2,000 tonnes per week reported in February and early March.

This was because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not renew export registrations for several American beef facilities whose registrations expired in March.

U.S. Meat Export Federation, a peak industry body, also stated that U.S. beef exports to China had stopped due to Beijing’s prohibitive duties of 147 percent.

Following the Trump administration’s decision to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent on April 10, the CCP retaliated by increasing tariffs on U.S. imports to 125 percent.

“Shipments already in the pipeline can still clear without the extra 125 percent tariff, provided they shipped before April 10 and arrive in China by May 13,” USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said.

“But new business has been effectively halted until there is a de-escalation of the U.S.-China trade impasse.”

In a recent development, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at reducing the tariff on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 80 percent on May 9 as a new round of negotiations between the two sides started.