30.09.2026 Regulation #China #Import #Quotas #Duties
China adds 55% tariff on Brazilian beef above quota from October 1
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said that on September 29, 2026, beef imports from Brazil under the country's beef safeguard measure reached 100% of the annual volume set for Brazil in MOFCOM Announcement No. 87 of 2025. Under that announcement, the additional tariff applies from the third day (inclusive) after a country reaches 100% of its volume — for Brazil, that means 00:00 on October 1, 2026, according to the MOFCOM statement as reported by 10jqka, fx168 and cnyes.
Country quotas and the 55% surcharge
The safeguard measure was introduced by MOFCOM Announcement No. 87 in the form of country quotas with an additional tariff beyond them. It covers six subheadings under headings 0201 and 0202 and runs from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028, with gradual relaxation at fixed intervals. Country quota volumes and additional tariff rates are set out in Annex 2 to the announcement. Once shipments from a given country reach its volume, an additional 55% is added to the applicable rate.
The currently applicable tariff on beef, according to cnyes, is 12%; with the surcharge, the total rate on Brazilian beef above the quota is 67%. Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) clarified that the measure applies to all beef-exporting countries and is not aimed specifically at Brazil.
How fast Brazil's 2026 quota filled up
Brazil's volume for 2026 is 1.106 million tonnes out of total quotas of 2.688 million tonnes, according to cnyes. The quota filled in stages:
- 50% — May 9, 2026, reported by cls.cn;
- 80% — July 21, 2026, according to huxiu.com;
- 100% — September 29, 2026, triggering the surcharge from October 1.
According to the same huxiu.com report, Brazil accounted for about 53.19% of the value of China's total beef imports in 2025.
Consequences for beef importers in China
Shipments of Brazilian beef cleared from October 1, 2026 above the exhausted volume are subject to the total rate of 67% instead of 12% (cnyes). In huxiu.com's assessment, imported frozen beef goes mainly to the B2B segment, so the higher rate feeds directly into the purchasing costs of caterers and deep-processing companies. The surcharge is tied to country of origin: shipments from other countries are counted against their own volumes under the same Announcement No. 87.
Primary sources
- 商务部公告2025年第87号 公布对进口牛肉实施保障措施的裁定 (MOFCOM)
- 商务部：自巴西进口牛肉10月1日零点起加征55%关税 (10jqka)
- 商务部公告：巴西牛肉进口10月1日零点起加征55%关税 (fx168)
- 進口配額已用盡 中國10月1日起對巴西牛肉加徵55%關稅 (cnyes)
- 商务部：牛肉保障措施项下巴西进口牛肉已达规定数量50% (cls.cn)
- 巴西牛肉进口配额即将耗尽 (huxiu)
- 巴西农业部澄清：保障措施并非针对巴西 (roujiaosuo)
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This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.