Shanghai's beef imports register strong rise in Jan-May

SHANGHAI -- A total of 394,000 tonnes of beef were imported via Shanghai Customs in the first five months of this year, up 51.8 percent from the same period last year, data from the customs authorities showed.

The value of these goods was 15.55 billion yuan ($2.2 billion), up 72.9 percent year-on-year. The average price of imported beef was 39.4 yuan per kg during the period, up 13.9 percent year-on-year.

Brazil, Argentina and Australia were the top three sources of beef imports in Shanghai. In the first five months, Shanghai Customs saw 136,000 tonnes of beef imported from Brazil, more than doubled from the same period last year and accounting for 34.5 percent of the total beef imports in Shanghai in the same period.

Beef imports from Argentina and Australia also rose 52.1 percent and 28.5 percent year-on-year, respectively, in volume. The increase in beef imports in Shanghai shows that beef consumption in the Chinese market remains robust despite the novel coronavirus epidemic.