Australia beef imports near quota as China reiterates 55% safeguard-tariff trigger
( June 5, 2026, 02:42 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: China’s Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that safeguard tariffs on Australian beef imports will apply automatically if imports reach Australia’s annual country-specific quota under China’s beef safeguard regime. Responding to a question at a regular press briefing, ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said importers must pay an additional 55 percent tariff on top of existing duties starting from the third day after imports exceed the quota threshold. The comments follow a June 2 notice from the ministry’s Trade Remedies Bureau stating that Australian beef imports had reached 90 percent of their 2026 quota as of June 1. He added the safeguard measure is intended to provide temporary relief for domestic producers rather than restrict normal trade. Excerpt of the transcript follows (in Chinese)....
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