Imported beef is sold in a supermarket in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

The Chinese market is crucial for US meat exports, and as consumption patterns continue to upgrade, opportunities for high-quality US meat, including beef, are looking to expand in the world's second-largest economy, a representative of the US meat industry said.
The remarks were made during an ongoing promotional event for US beef, held in several major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. During the event, American beef suppliers emphasized their commitment to the Chinese market, which they regard as their "most important and increasingly promising market."

They also expressed concern over the new US administration's tariff policy, stating that tariffs are not the solution to trade issues, and that the move is creating uncertainty for businesses.

The offline promotional event, titled "US Beef from Farm to Table" and supported by the US Agricultural Trade Office, Agri Beef, One World Beef, and JBS, aims to explore the vast market opportunities for US beef while fostering local partnerships, the Global Times learned from the event organizer.

"I'm here attending promotional events for US meat products and continuing to hire more people because this market is not going anywhere. China is a very important and long-term market for us," Marino Camardelli, international beef sales manager of JBS USA, a leading global food company, based in Colorado, US, told the Global Times at the Beijing event on Thursday.

Camardelli's company has a "China - specific program," tailoring products and services to the Chinese market, from product design to how the products are presented when served at the table in China.

Camardelli's confidence in the Chinese market did not come out of the blue. In 2024, the US was China's third-largest meat supplier by volume, trailing Brazil and Argentina and accounting for 9 percent of China's total meat imports, Reuters reported. US meat shipments to China reached $2.5 billion last year, making it the second largest exporter by value, the report said.

"For us, it is the most important market and the one we prioritize the most," said Camardelli. For JBS USA, the Chinese market is not only the most important but also the largest. Last year alone, its business revenue from China reached approximately $850 million, according to the company.

"The Chinese consumer market holds great potential," Chen Jing, a Beijing-based representative of the US Meat Export Federation, agreed. In order to expand their presence in this vast market, US meat companies and industry associations have done their homework, including actively participating in major food and trade exhibitions, such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which they attended for the second time last year, to facilitate business connections and establish trade partnerships, Chen told the Global Times.

One notable highlight is that the consumption upgrade of the vast Chinese market has made it more profitable for American meat businesses.

For the US pork industry, for example, a significant portion of pork by-products is exported to China, Chen said, noting that the ability to sell these by-products at a premium price in international markets plays a crucial role in enhancing the profitability of the pork export industry.

Additionally, the export of US chilled beef and some other meat products to China has been on a steady rise. "In recent years, US beef prices have reached record highs... However, despite this, both export volume and export prices have continued to grow, with China being one of our key export destinations," Chen said. Thanks to China's ongoing consumption upgrade, high-quality US beef will offer Chinese consumers more premium meat options, she said.

China remains an increasingly important market, creating opportunities for US meat businesses. At the same time, the new US administration's tariff policy targeting countries worldwide casts a shadow of uncertainty over US exports, including meat industry players such as Camardelli.

Speaking as an American who has lived in China for a long time, what he personally wants to see the most is "for the two largest economies in the world to have nothing but free trade between them, as it benefits not only both countries but the entire world - the world stands to gain from the two largest economies being partners."

However, the US administration's tariff policy has made the situation "very unpredictable," Camardelli said, adding that in his view, tariffs are not the solution for anyone - when tariffs are imposed, consumers ultimately bear the cost.