Approval of 425 plus 77 U.S. beef plants eligible for export to China is expected to drive a rapid price increase for U.S. beef brisket and other similar cuts

After more than a year of waiting, China General Administration of Customs has approved a five-year renewal for 425 U.S. beef processing plants eligible for export to China, and added registration for an additional 77 facilities. The move follows recent high-level meetings between China and the United States, marking an important development in trade relations.

According to a statement released last Friday by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), China has processed renewals in its CIFER system for 425 U.S. beef plants whose registrations had expired. The newly registered 77 facilities took effect on May 15, 2026, both with a five-year validity period. However, 38 beef plants remain suspended. Among them, 25 facilities that had previously expired and completed administrative renewal still do not qualify for export.

For USMEF, restoring these registrations is a top priority. The organization’s president and chief executive stated that the registration status of these plants had been at a stalemate for nearly a year.“The vast majority of U.S. plants — more than 400 — were either delisted or never re-registered in China’s system. We believed a high-level meeting would be needed to break the impasse. We are cautiously optimistic that these talks could lead to a breakthrough,” he said.While beef is just one part of the broader trade relationship, he noted that the discussions could provide the political momentum needed to reopen market access.“There are many issues on the table, but time will tell. Such meetings are exactly the opportunity we have been waiting for.”

From a $2 billion market to a fraction of its former size

Following the Phase One trade agreement in 2020, U.S. beef exports to China surged from roughly $300 million that year to over $2 billion in 2022, according to USMEF data. But after registrations lapsed last year, export volumes plummeted to less than $500 million.

The losses extend beyond export figures and have weighed on U.S. domestic cattle prices. Access to the Chinese market is estimated to add approximately $150 to $165 in value per head of finished fed cattle in the United States. Products such as beef aorta and beef throat membrane command far higher prices in China than in the U.S. domestic market. The impact also extends to traditional muscle cuts, particularly brisket.It is estimated that if these plants regain registration and market access is restored, prices for brisket could rise by more than $1 per pound in a short period.

Source of this article: Lingxian Cloud Frozen Products

经过一年多的等待，中国海关总署已为425家美国牛肉工厂的对华出口注册批准了为期五年的展期，并新增了77家工厂的注册。此举是在中美两国近期高层会晤之后做出的，标志着贸易关系中的一项重要进展。

根据美国肉类出口联合会（USMEF）上周五发布的声明，中国已在CIFER系统中对425家注册过期的美国牛肉工厂进行了展期处理，此外新增的77家工厂注册自2026年5月15日起生效，有效期均为五年。不过，仍有38家牛肉工厂处于暂停状态。其中，有25家之前已过期、现已完成行政续期的工厂，目前仍不具备出口资格。对于USMEF而言，恢复这些注册是首要任务。该机构总裁兼首席执行官表示，近一年来这些工厂的注册问题一直处于僵局。“绝大多数美国工厂——超过400家——要么被除名，要么从未在中国注册系统中重新注册。我们认为，需要一次高层会晤来打破僵局。我们对此次会晤能带来转机持谨慎乐观态度。”他指出，尽管牛肉只是更广泛贸易关系的一部分，但这些会谈可能提供重新开放市场准入所需的政治动力。“讨论的问题很多，但时间会证明一切。这样的会晤绝对是我们一直在等待的机会。”

从20亿美元市场到不足零头

根据USMEF的数据，在2020年第一阶段贸易协议后，美国对华牛肉出口从当年的约3亿美元猛增至2022年的20亿美元以上。但在去年注册失效后，出口量急剧下降，降至不足5亿美元。这种损失不仅体现在出口数据上，也影响了美国国内的牛价。据估计，中国市场准入为美国每头出栏育肥牛增加约150至165美元的价值。因为牛心管、牛黄喉等产品在中国具有远高于美国国内的价值。该影响也延伸至传统部位肉，尤其是后胸/肥牛。据估计，如果这些工厂重新获得注册、市场准入恢复，后胸/肥牛的价格可能在短时间内每磅上涨超过1美元。

本文来源：领鲜云冻品