Amid the US-China trade war, China halted most US agricultural imports by imposing heavy tariffs. Brazil boosted soybean and beef exports, while Spain expanded its pork trade, quickly filling the gap. This shift has reshaped global agricultural supply chains and marginalized the US in China’s food market.
The US-China trade war escalated in spring 2025, with the US imposing a 145% tariff on Chinese goods and China retaliating with a 125% tariff on US农产品. This led to the US agricultural products being largely excluded from the Chinese market. Brazil and Spain seized the opportunity to fill the void in China’s agricultural imports. Brazil rapidly increased its soybean exports to China. In April 2025, Brazil’s soybean exports reached 14.5 million tons, with Chinese buyers securing 2.4 million tons of orders. Brazil also stepped up its beef exports. In early April 2025, China suspended the export qualifications of 395 US slaughterhouses, nearly cutting off US beef exports to China. Brazil expressed its willingness to expand beef supply to meet China’s market demands.
In the first half of 2025, Brazil’s beef exports to China saw significant growth. In March, Brazil’s beef exports totaled 289,978 tons, a 41% year-on-year increase, with China being the primary buyer. In 2024, Brazilian beef accounted for 47% of China’s beef imports, and this proportion is projected to rise further in 2025. Spain also made inroads into China’s pork market. On April 11, 2025, China and Spain signed a comprehensive strategic partnership plan, with China lifting import restrictions on Spanish pork products. In 2023, Spain exported 560,000 tons of pork to China, accounting for 21% of China’s total pork imports and ranking first in terms of volume.
The US-China trade war has prompted China to adjust its agricultural import strategy. Brazil and Spain, with their active policies and market promotion efforts, have quickly risen as new forces in global agricultural trade. The US, due to its tariff policies and loss of market share, is gradually being marginalized. This trade war has not only altered the bilateral trade relationship between the US and China but also brought about profound changes to the global agricultural supply chain.