Overview
- Argentina’s beef exports jumped in the first quarter of 2026 with value rising about 54% to US$1,028 million and shipments up roughly 17% to 199,658 tonnes, driven by a 31.5% rise in the average export price to about US$5,149 per tonne.
- At SIAL Shanghai, the Instituto de Promoción de la Carne Vacuna Argentina ran a 25-company pavilion and an Argentine Beef restaurant that served buyers and helped generate commercial leads and firm orders.
- Chinese trade officials told the Argentine delegation that quota allocations will not change and reported Argentina had used about 32% of its 2026 quota as of May 12, preserving the lower in-quota tariff regime for now.
- Shipments to the United States also expanded, exceeding 20,000 tonnes in Q1 after trade understandings reached earlier this year boosted access for Argentine exporters.
- Sector participants say further gains are possible if competitors such as Brazil and Australia fill their China quotas quickly, but exporters remain watchful of possible regulatory shifts and higher out-of-quota tariffs that could raise costs and reshape demand.