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Posted by David Sexton
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23 April, 2026
ANOTHER two abattoirs and six cold stores have been approved to export beef to China, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says.
In a statement to Daily Cargo News, DAFF said the approval came from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
Meanwhile 13 China-listed abattoirs have had approval to allow additional product to be exported.
Federal agriculture minister Julie Collins said it was a positive development.
“The Australian government works closely with trading partners to support agricultural exports across the world,” Ms Collins said. “Additional market access is welcomed and highlights the high quality and safe beef that Australia exports.”
Analysts quoted in the Australian national media suggested an outbreak of foot and mouth disease among cattle in China could be a factor in the decision.
At the start of this year, China imposed a 205,000-tonne quota on Australian beef imports, which was set to be filled by mid-June. Beef exports from Australia after that would face a tariff of 55%.
Among those celebrating any increase in access to the China market will be the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC), which at the start of the year expressed disappointment at China’s quota decision.
AMIC chief executive Tim Ryan said they had made representations to Chinese authorities that Australia “remains a trusted, reliable and stable source of beef into China, helping to meet Chinese consumer demand”.
“Imports of Australian beef are not a cause of damage to the domestic beef industry in China,” Mr Ryan said in January.
According to Our World in Data, China’s demand for meat has increased and diversified in recent decades, maintaining a taste for pork but also enjoying beef and sheep and goat meat.
“This change in diet matters for various reasons,” Our World in Data stated.
“More diversified diets (which are not only about animal products) tend to be more nutritious than monotonous staple-heavy diets that are common for people living in poverty.”
