Overview

• Duties on US beef imports have been reduced from 125% at the trade war’s peak to 10% but continue to inflate sales costs for Beijing restaurants.
• A branch of an American-style barbecue in Beijing stopped serving US-imported beef about a month ago due to rising prices and unstable supply.
• Under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Australian beef enters Chinese ports duty-free, making it a cheaper alternative for local eateries.
• Beef suppliers acknowledge that while US cuts offer richer flavor, their tariff-driven price premiums have become unsustainable for many operators.
• Last year’s Albanese government measures cleared trade barriers on A$20 billion of Australian goods bound for China, further boosting export volumes.