Alckmin Calls China’s Vice President Over Beef Safeguard, Seeks COSBAN Talks

Brazil is steering discussions to COSBAN after China imposed quotas with a 55% surtax on beef shipments above 1.1 million tonnes.

Overview

Serving as acting president, Geraldo Alckmin held a roughly 30-minute call with Vice President Han Zheng to register concern about China’s new limits on beef imports.
He invited Han Zheng to visit Brazil for the next COSBAN meeting to pursue negotiations, with the date still to be determined.
China’s safeguard on beef imports took effect on January 1 and is slated to remain in place for three years.
Brazil received a 1.1 million-tonne annual quota, with a 55% surtax applied to volumes above that threshold, compared with the current 12% rate.
Both sides noted bilateral trade reached a record US$171 billion in 2025 and discussed investment opportunities in infrastructure, technology, innovation and sustainability.