China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced on 19 June 2026 that imports of beef from Australia under China’s beef safeguard measure reached 100% of the prescribed country-specific quota on 18 June 2026. In accordance with MOFCOM Announcement No. 87 of 2025, an additional 55% tariff will be imposed on Australian beef imports effective from 00:00 on 20 June 2026.
The measure forms part of China’s beef safeguard regime, which is in force from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. Under the framework, country-specific import thresholds are established for major beef-exporting countries. Once the allocated quota for a particular country is fully utilized, imports exceeding the threshold become subject to an additional safeguard duty. Australia is the first major exporting country to reach its quota limit in 2026, triggering the application of the additional tariff.
It is important to note that this action is a safeguard measure rather than an anti-dumping or anti-subsidy action. The additional duty applies automatically upon quota exhaustion and is intended to regulate import volumes and provide protection to the domestic industry.
Importers, exporters, customs brokers, and supply chain professionals involved in the beef trade should immediately assess the impact on landed costs, contractual obligations, pricing arrangements, and customs declarations. Companies are advised to closely monitor quota utilization levels, tariff developments, and regulatory announcements issued by MOFCOM and China Customs to ensure timely compliance and effective supply chain planning.
This development serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining robust trade compliance monitoring processes, particularly for products subject to safeguard measures, tariff-rate quotas, and other trade remedy mechanisms that can result in significant and immediate changes to import duty liabilities.
Official source: https://trb.mofcom.gov.cn/myjjdc/art/2026/art_4da4c1f592664a95839664f5c71b7e94.html