The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

　　China"s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced on Tuesday that as of November 2, beef imports from New Zealand had reached 50 percent of China"s annual safeguard quota. Once the full quota is reached, an additional 55 percent tariff will apply on top of existing duties, starting on the third day.

　　New Zealand"s beef quota under China"s safeguard measures is set at 206,000 tons for 2026, 210,000 tons for 2027 and 214,000 tons for 2028, according to the MOFCOM. It is one of six major beef suppliers subject to country-specific quotas, along with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia and the US.

　　China imported 2.802 million tons of beef in 2025, down 2.5 percent year-on-year, while the value of imports rose 8 percent. New Zealand accounted for 4.1 percent of the total import volume, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

　　China announced the safeguard measures on December 31, 2025, after an investigation launched in December 2024 found that increased beef imports had caused serious injury to China"s domestic industry and established a causal link between the two.

　　The safeguard measures took effect on January 1, 2026 and will remain in place through December 31, 2028, with restrictions gradually eased through annual increases in import quotas, while additional tariffs on imports exceeding those quotas will remain at 55 percent, according to the ministry.