U.S. beef exports to China have been an ever-evolving story in recent years. As shown on the chart above, exports were effectively zero until 2017 when China removed a ban on U.S. beef that dated back to 2003. Exports surged in 2021 and 2022, briefly making China a top three destination alongside Japan and South Korea. Since early 2025, beef exports to China have plummeted to very low levels amid broader trade challenges. For the first three months of 2026, beef exports to China totaled just 5.3 million pounds, a 95 percent decline from a year ago.
The lower exports over the past year have been driven by the lack of U.S. beef facilities registrations that are required for all food manufacturers who export into China. Over 400 U.S. beef plants lost the ability to export into China after registrations expired and were not renewed over the past year. President Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China last week led to hope from the beef industry that these expired registrations would be renewed and that larger exports to China could resume.
On Friday, the U.S. Meat Export Federation reported registration extensions have been granted to 425 overdue beef establishments, and an additional 77 establishments have been added, while 38 establishments remain suspended. This is good news for U.S. beef exports amid challenging export dynamics. Tight supplies of U.S. beef and high domestic prices have been a headwind to beef exports. Those headwinds remain with the renewed registrations, but China is a key market.
It is also worth mentioning U.S. beef exports to Hong Kong have increased over the past year, while exports to China declined. It is helpful to combine exports to both countries when looking at overall trends. While Hong Kong has offset some of the decline in exports to mainland China, combined exports to China and Hong Kong remain well below the levels seen during 2021–2024, when mainland China was a much larger buyer.
Maples, Josh. “U.S. Beef Exports to China Bottleneck.” Southern Ag Today 6(21.2). May 19, 2026. Permalink
