BEIJING “China’s Ministry of Commerce on Friday launched an investigation into imported beef at the request of representatives of its struggling domestic industry,” it said.
The local price of beef in China has trended downward in recent years, with analysts blaming oversupply and lack of demand as the world’s second-largest economy has slowed.
At the same time, imports have increased, with China representing a hugely important market for countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
The request for an inquiry by domestic associations said a sharp increase in beef imports in recent years “has had a significant negative impact on the domestic industry,” the trade ministry said in a statement.
Beef imports in 2023 were 65 percent higher than in 2019, it cited producers.
The investigation takes effect from Friday and is expected to last eight months, but “may be extended as appropriate in special circumstances,” the statement said.
Normal trade will not be affected during the investigation period.
Brazil, the world’s largest beef exporter, said it “will try to show that Brazilian beef exported to China does not cause any kind of damage to the Chinese industry, but is, on the contrary, an important factor to complement local Chinese production.”
Its Foreign Ministry noted that “in principle, no provisional measures will be adopted, and the 12 percent ad valorem tariff imposed by China on beef imports will continue to apply.”
Brazil’s statement said China, its top trading partner, this year received more than 1 million tonnes of Brazilian beef, up 12.7 percent from last year.
It added that it was committed to defending Brazil’s agricultural sector and “always sought a constructive dialogue in search of mutually beneficial solutions” with China.
