China’s imports of Australian beef have triggered the 2025 Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG) as of July 24, according to the latest announcement posted on the China International Trade Single Window, a website led by China’s National Ports Administration Office. Despite the higher annual quota volume for this year, this means the safeguard quota was exhausted in 205 days, 75 days earlier than in 2024. The safeguard limit was activated last year on October 6.
The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) took effect in December 2015, eliminating tariffs on Australian beef. However, China maintains the authority to impose a safeguard on beef imports (excluding offal) if they surpass a specified annual limit. Initially set at 170,000 mt in 2017, the volume has risen every year and is scheduled to increase incrementally to 249,000 mt by 2031.
This is the sixth time China activated the SSG mechanism on Australian beef exports. Previous breaches occurred in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024, underscoring the recurring pressure to source more from Australia as United States (US) supply fell sharply.
Since April, Australia’s grain-fed beef has gained significant ground in China’s premium market. This shift follows China’s non-renewal of import permits for more than 400 US beef plants and the imposition of punitive tariffs following escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Back on May 27, China updated the 2025 SSG trigger volume for Australian beef to 190,985 mt. The adjustment accounts for 17,321 mt of Australian beef declared in transit at the end of 2024, reducing the original safeguard volume from 208,307 mt. Now crossed, a Most-Favored Nation (MFN) tariff from 12% will be applied to all Australian beef imports through December 31, 2025. The zero-tariff quota resets on January 1, 2026.
Shipments to China nearly doubled in June ahead of potential safeguard tariffs, supporting record-high overall Australia’s beef exports of 134,596 metric tons (mt) in June, up by 26.8% on the year, according to data from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The volume topped the previous peak set in October 2024.
Co-authored by:
Junie Lin
Expana
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Joe Muldowney
Expana
1-732-240-5330 ext. 244
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Bill Smith
Expana
732-575-1977
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Thess Mostoles
Expana
1-732-240-5330
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Written by Junie Lin
