The move is a major blow to key global suppliers as China's domestic industry grapples with a supply glut.
China's commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total quota for 2026 is 2.7 million tonnes, with Brazil assigned the highest portion of 41.1 per cent, followed by Argentina with 19 per cent and 12.1 per cent for Uruguay.
The ministry allocated a quota of 205,000 tonnes for Australia and 164,000 tonnes for the US.
In 2024, China imported 1.34 million tonnes of beef from Brazil, 594,567 tons from Argentina, 216,050 tonnes from Australia, 243,662 tonnes from Uruguay, 150,514 tonnes from New Zealand and 138,112 tonnes from the US.
China's measures take effect on January 1 for three years, with the total quota increasing every year, reaching 2.8 million tonnes in 2028.
China made the announcement following two extensions of its beef import probe initiated last December, which officials say does not target any particular country.
Last week, Chinese beef industry associations pressured the government to impose immediate safeguard measures by the year-end to stabilise market expectations and domestic breeders' livelihoods, state media Global Times reported.
Since 2023, China's beef breeding sector has incurred heavy losses due to various factors, including imports, prompting many breeders to slaughter breeding cattle to reduce expenses, Global Times quoted an industry official as saying.
China imported a record 2.87 million tonnes of beef last year. Imports in the January to November period dropped 0.3 per cent year-on-year to 2.59 million tonnes.
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