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Trade measures could hit suppliers including Brazil

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Investigation result expected later this year

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Coincides with falling China demand and domestic

oversupply

By Ella Cao and Tom Polansek

BEIJING, April 1 (Reuters) - China said it would deliver

a "fair and objective" ruling following a hearing in its ongoing

investigation into beef imports that could lead to higher

tariffs or import limits if it finds domestic producers are at

risk.

Launched last year, the review covers all imported beef

rather than that from any specific country and coincides with

slower demand and a domestic supply glut that has hit China's

beef market - the world's largest for imports and consumption.

Monday's hearing brought together around 180

representatives, including officials from major suppliers

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay and the United States,

China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. Exporters,

trade associations, Chinese importers and domestic beef

producers, also attended, the ministry said.

China imported a record 2.87 million metric tons of beef in

2024, according to customs data, heightening concerns over

possible trade restrictions that could affect leading suppliers.

U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesman Joe Schuele said U.S.

beef primarily served China's high-end food service and retail

sectors, and did not compete directly with domestic beef that is

often priced lower.

"We don't feel that any restrictions on U.S. beef are going

to benefit the domestic industry," Schuele said.

A Brazilian beef consultant, speaking on condition of

anonymity, said Brazilian beef was price-competitive and

overlapped with segments of China's domestic market.

The consultant added that everyone in the Brazilian sector

was worried about China's investigation and expected more

measures.

The industry's concerns were amplified after Chinese customs

last month temporarily suspended beef imports from six companies

in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries,

ABIEC, said in March the domestic suppliers hit by the

suspension had failed to meet Chinese requirements for the

registration of foreign establishments.

A spokesperson for the association on Tuesday said by phone

the ban is temporary, and that the three affected Brazilian

slaughterhouses hoped to resume beef exports to China later this

month.

The factories concerned include one in Brazil's Goiás state

that is owned by meat packing giant JBS and is one of

the biggest beef exporting plants to China.

The meat investigation, which began on December 27, is

expected to last eight months but could be extended under

special circumstances.

Meanwhile, China has yet to renew export registrations for

U.S. beef facilities that expired on March 16, causing traders

to hesitate to strike deals for U.S. beef produced after that

date.

The U.S. beef industry is already navigating a 10% tariff

imposed as part of China's retaliatory duties on U.S. farm goods

worth some $21 billion.

Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, and the U.S. are among China's

major beef suppliers.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Lewis Jackson in Beijing, Tom

Polansek in Chicago; Additional reporting by Ana Mano in Sao

Paulo; Editing by Kate Mayberry and Barbara lewis)