Overview
- Safeguard rules took effect January 1 and keep the 12.5% tariff inside each country’s annual quota while adding a 55% duty on volumes above it until December 31, 2028.
- Published quotas include Argentina 511,000 tonnes, Brazil about 1.1 million, Uruguay 324,000, Australia 200,000, and the United States 164,000 in 2026 with planned rises to 168,000 in 2027 and 171,000 in 2028.
- China will review quotas annually, unused volumes will not roll over, and beef provisions in the China‑Australia free trade agreement are partially suspended during the safeguard period.
- Exporters are recalibrating shipments and contracts to avoid the punitive rate, with Argentine industry groups noting the country’s quota roughly matches recent export levels and mainly limits growth.
- Analysts flag a technical question over whether bone‑only shipments fall outside the listed codes, a point they say could become a subject for clarification or negotiation.