China data shows Brazil has used over 33% of 2026 beef quota by February
Exporters raise concerns over shipment timing and market dependence
CHINA – China’s latest import figures indicate that Brazilian beef shipments have already taken up more than a third of the 2026 quota, based on data released on March 20 by the country’s Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs.
According to the figures, Brazil supplied 372,080 tonnes of beef to China in January and February, with 211,290 tonnes recorded in January and 160,780 tonnes in February, accounting for 33.64% of the 1.1 million tonne limit set for Brazilian exporters this year.
The data, compiled by the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, shows that China remains Brazil’s dominant market, receiving 56% of the country’s total beef exports, leading industry players to explore other destinations to reduce reliance on a single buyer.
Shipment timing dispute
Differences have emerged between Chinese import records and Brazil’s official export data, as Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat reports 229,850 tonnes shipped to China in the same period, including 123,150 tonnes in January and 106,700 tonnes in February.
The gap is largely due to how shipments are counted, since Chinese authorities register cargo upon arrival, while Brazil logs exports at the time of departure, meaning consignments sent in 2025 but received in 2026 are included in this year’s quota usage.
This issue had already been flagged by Brazilian exporters earlier in the year, when meatpackers urged government ministries to engage with Chinese officials to exclude shipments dispatched before the quota came into force, although no agreement was reached.
Industry concern over pace
With more than one-third of the quota already used in the first two months, exporters are calling for closer monitoring of shipments to avoid potential disruptions later in the year.
The exporters’ association said it is reviewing the situation carefully but warned that the current rate of quota consumption could affect trade performance in the coming months, particularly in the second half of 2026.
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