China’s restaurants replace American beef with Australian beef amid trade war: reports

Restaurants in China are reportedly switching out American beef for Australian beef due to Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US President triggered a trade war with Beijing by slapping meaty tariffs on Chinese goods.

An ensuing tit-for-tat escalation peaked with the US imposing 145 per cent levies on Chinese products and China imposing 125 per cent duties on American products.

Both sides have since backed down, with Washington agreeing to 30 per cent imposts on goods from China and Beijing agreeing to 10 per cent on US imports.

But the tariffs have still hiked American beef supply costs for restaurants in the Chinese capital, prompting them to look to tariff-free Australian beef.

Chinese state media reported on Tuesday that an American-themed restaurant in Beijing had made the switch because of “cost pressures and declining supply stability of US imports”.

The Global Times reported it spoke with a staff member at a “branch of a restaurant famous for its American-style barbecue in Beijing”.

The staff member said the restaurant “stopped serving imported beef from the US starting from about one month ago due to the impact of tariffs”, the Chinese government mouthpiece reported.

The Global Times did not name the chain, but US business news channel CNBC has also reported that restaurants in Beijing are changing to Australian beef, including one eatery’s “The Great American” burger.

A beef supplier told the network that American “beef is fattier and tastier” but the “high price is just too much to bear”.

Australian beef is exported to China without any duties under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

The Albanese government last year also cleared trade barriers for $20bn in Australian goods headed for Chinese ports, including lobsters.