Brazil beef exports hit record for January
China takes 46.3% despite quota concerns
26 February 2026
1 minute read
By: Brazil shipped 258.94 thousand tons of beef in January, a record for the month, according to a recent market report from Cepea.
The volume surpassed January 2025 shipments of 206.68 thousand tons, an increase of 25.3%.
China accounted for 46.3% of total Brazilian beef exports in January. In 2025, China represented 47.67% of total shipments, reaching 1.648 million tons for the year.
Brazil’s annual quota for China is 1.106 million tons. In January alone, Brazil exported 119.63 thousand tons to China, the largest January volume on record.
The United States was the second largest destination, accounting for 11.53% of shipments. Brazil exported 29.85 thousand tons to the US in January, up 9.6% from December 2025 and 57.3% above January 2025.
Export revenue totalled USD 1.39 billion in January, down 24.1% from December 2025 but 40% higher than January 2025.
