For the first time in more than four years, Canadian beef can now be sold and marketed in China.
China closed its borders to Canadian beef in December 2021 when a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy was confirmed in an adult beef cow in Alberta that never entered the food supply. Prior to the ban, Canadian beef had been seeing steady growth in the Chinese market.
“China has restored market access for Canadian beef, lifting the suspension that had been in place since December 2021,” Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald posted on X on Jan. 19. “In addition, we have signed a pet food safety and sanitation requirements protocol to accelerate resumption of Canadian pet food exports to China.”
The lifting of the ban comes after a Jan. 16 announcement that the two countries had reached a preliminary agreement to lower tariffs on other Canadian products, including canola seed and meal. MacDonald and Prime Minister Mark Carney were in China in January to hammer out the new deal. MacDonald told news outlets that China is moving quickly to import canola and beef from Canada, noting that a Chinese importer had already ordered 60,000 metric tons of Canadian canola seed and that he was aware of one Canadian business preparing its first shipment of beef to China as early as next week.
“We are pleased to see renewed access into China, one of the largest export markets for beef,” Tyler Fulton, president of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and a cow-calf operator from Manitoba, said in a statement. “Every market matters to Canadian beef farmers and ranchers; it supports our industry’s resilience and growth. Canadian beef continues to be sought after because it is among the highest-quality beef in the world.”
The federal government has made a priority of diversifying trade, and the CCA has worked with government officials to advocate for the removal of nontariff barriers in existing markets, as well as working toward new free trade agreements. Several critical details about the new agreement between Ottawa and Beijing – including what cuts and volume of beef will be allowed and what safeguards will be in place – are yet to be made public, but the Canadian beef industry is largely celebrating the deal, with the CCA calling it “welcomed news.”
“We remain committed to expanding market access for Canadian beef and securing the best trade deals for Canadian beef farmers and ranchers,” said Fulton. “We look forward to continuing to work with the government of Canada in pursuing new markets and removing nontariff and tariff barriers to Canadian beef.”
