Brazilian beef exports stay elevated

Brazilian beef exports once again increased in May 2026 compared with May 2025. Despite the Chinese quota, exports to the Asian country continued to rise. Shipments to the US also remained elevated, as did exports to the European Union.Brazilian beef exports totalled 297,000 tonnes in May 2026, up 2.9% compared with the previous month. This can be derived from ABIEC data. Export value reached $2.0 billion, increasing 6.5% month on month, while the average export price rose 3.53% to $6,160 per tonne. May results continued the stronger trend seen since March, with export value rising to $1.83 billion and prices improving from $5,950 per tonne in April to $6,160 per tonne in May. Export volumes also edged higher from 289,000 tonnes in April to 297,000 tonnes in May, showing firmer demand despite only a modest increase in shipped tonnage.Exports to China keep growing Despite the upcoming fulfilment of the quota, China remains by far the biggest importer of Brazilian beef in May. The country imported 157,561 tonnes of beef, valued at $1.06 billion. That was once again up, rising 39.9% compared with imports in May last year. Brazilian beef exports to China totalled 631,900 tonnes in the first five months of 2026, up 27.8% year on year. Compared with January to May 2025, shipments to China increased by approximately 137,500 tonnes, while export revenue grew by about $1.30 billion. Export value reached $3.78 billion, compared with about $2.48 billion in the same period of 2025, while the average export price rose by an estimated 19% to around $5,982 per tonne.The increase underlines China’s continued dominance as the main destination for Brazilian beef, accounting for 45.5% of Brazil’s total export volume and 48% of export revenue during the period. The stronger result was therefore driven not only by higher volumes, but also by firmer unit values, reflecting resilient Chinese demand and improved price realisation for Brazilian beef.Despite the strong growth in exports, the strongest exporting months are still to come. Normally, exports grow considerably during the summer, and one of the biggest questions in the market is whether the latest Chinese import quota will be able to tame growth during the historically strongest months of the year. If the quota succeeds in doing so, a large volume would need to be redirected, which would probably mean that a larger share of exports is sent to other high-value markets such as the US, Russia and Europe. As China has a specific preference for certain offal cuts, Brazilian companies will probably continue sending these products to China at the expense of more premium cuts. Logical market for these products are for example Europe and Chili as the capacity to produce high-quality steak cuts is lower than demand, while the US specifically tends to pay a premium for high-quality beef trimmings from beef cows.US remains second largest market The United States remains the second-largest importer of Brazilian beef, but exports actually fell compared with April. Brazilian beef exports to the United States totalled 28,800 tonnes in May 2026, down 32% from April. However, this is a typical pattern that can be distinguished in most years and is not necessarily indicative of a broken growth trend. More importantly, exports remained higher year on year. Compared with May 2025, exports were up 5.1%. Export value reached $195.6 million, while the average export price was approximately $6,792 per tonne. For January to May, Brazilian beef exports to the United States reached 178,600 tonnes, up 14.8% year on year. Export value totalled $1.16 billion, up 26.6% compared with the same period in 2025.The third-largest importer in May turned out to be Russia. Brazilian beef exports to Russia totalled 13,700 tonnes in May 2026, with export value reaching $66.5 million. The average export price was approximately $4,854 per tonne. For January to May, exports to Russia reached 54,100 tonnes, up 33.7% from the same period last year. Export value totalled $245.2 million, with the average price at around $4,532 per tonne. The strong year-on-year increase highlights Russia’s growing role in Brazil’s export mix, particularly as demand expanded faster than in several other major markets.Chile turns out to be the most significant regional market The biggest regional market for Brazil was Chile. Brazilian beef exports to Chile totalled 8,500 tonnes in May 2026, down 19% from April. Export value reached $52.7 million, while the average export price rose to approximately $6,200 per tonne. The lower monthly volume contrasted with firmer unit values, suggesting that value retention partly offset the decline in shipments.For January to May, exports to Chile reached 58,000 tonnes, up 16% year on year. Export value totalled $339.2 million, with an average export price of around $5,848 per tonne. Chile remained Brazil’s third-largest destination in the cumulative ranking, confirming its role as a stable regional buyer of Brazilian beef.European exports keep growing The trend of growing exports to the European Union also remains in place. However, compared with the more than 20% growth in chicken exports, the growth in EU beef imports from Brazil remained modest. Brazilian beef exports to the European Union totalled 8,300 tonnes in May 2026, down 4.6% from April. Export value reached $77.5 million, while the average export price was approximately $9,337 per tonne, the highest among the leading destinations reported by ABIEC. The limited decline in volume was partly offset by stronger price realisation. For January to May, exports to the European Union reached 43,000 tonnes, up 24% compared with the same period in 2025. Export value totalled $377.2 million, with the average price at around $8,772 per tonne. The result underlines the EU’s importance as a high-value destination, even though its share of Brazil’s total export volume remains well below China and the United States.