China demand sees grain fed beef exports hit record monthly high

Demand from China has pushed one sector of Australia’s beef exports to break records. See the details.

Demand from China has pushed grain-fed beef exports to a new high with April figures the highest monthly total ever.

Last month, 37,037 tonnes of grain-fed beef were sold to overseas customers and of that, 33 per cent went to China.

And it’s unclear whether it is extra demand or filling a gap caused by tariffs on beef imported from the United States which is now subject to large tariffs.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s foreign agricultural service will not release April export figures until early June.

Grain-fed beef exports have just hit their highest monthly level.

Meat and Livestock Australia global market analyst Tim Jackson said combined grass-fed and grain-fed beef exports were up 21 per cent year-on-year for April but the big change was in grain-fed figures.

These were up 27 per cent compared to last April to be the largest monthly volume on record for grain-fed beef.

Mr Jackson said grain-fed supply had been steadily building over decades.

“Numbers on feed routinely break records and turn-off continues to rise over time,” Mr Jackson said.

“This has been reflected in export volumes, which have steadily lifted as the sector has grown as a whole.”

And it was China that was now leading the pack when it came to imports of Australian grain-fed beef, emerging as the largest market late last year.

”Strong demand from a range of markets has continued to power the grain-fed beef sector,” Mr Jackson said.

“In late 2024, China emerged as the largest market for Australian grain-fed beef.

“This continued to hold true in April 2025 with exports rising 62 per cent to 12,151 tonnes.”

Other key markets kept demand strong, with Japan’s take down 8 per cent but still 9,918 tonnes while exports to South Korea rose 46 per cent year-on-year to 6,882 tonnes.

Australian Lot Feeders Association chief executive Christian Mulders said the cattle lot feeding sector closed out 2024 with its strongest growth ever.

“We reached record capacity, numbers of cattle-on-feed and our largest annual turnoff of 3.1 million cattle,” Mr Mulders said.

“So it’s not entirely unexpected that we are seeing this growth in supply play out in Australia’s grain fed beef export figures.”

Mr Mulders said while it some could “speculate” that the most recent global trade dynamics may have played a role in driving record grain fed beef exports in April, the sector’s growth had been steadily increasing over the longer term.

“Australian grain fed beef has a strong reputation for consistency and quality and this enables brand owners to deliver to customers’ needs year-round, which is a key driver behind growth in the industry,” he said.

The latest numbers on feed are expected to be released within the next week.