Since the political dispute between Australia and China, frozen beef exports from the U.S. have accelerated, topping Australia.
The U.S. has benefited from China’s appetite for beef since China informally banned a series of goods from Australia and the implementation of the phase one trade agreement. According to Rural Bank Agricultural Analyst Michael Curtis, these factors, along with curtailed beef production in Australia, have led to the “perfect storm for U.S. beef.”
According to Chinese customs, the U.S. in May shipped $90 million of frozen beef to China compared to Australia’s $47 million. Frozen beef exports to China from the U.S. continue to climb, rising to $107 million in July compared to Australian shipments of $35 million.
“Australia still dominates exports of chilled beef—another popular export to China—but the gap is also closing, although experts have said chilled beef from the U.S. remains more expensive than imports from Australia and New Zealand,” according to the South China Morning Post.
