Beef exports totaled 331,300 tons in the first half of 2026.

According to the new VIP Report from the DATAGRO Livestock farmingBased on data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex), Brazilian beef exports in the first half of 2026 totaled 331,300 tons in carcass weight equivalent—a 7.1% increase compared to the same month of the previous year, although the year-on-year growth rate slowed compared to the first two months of 2026. In addition to the increase in volume shipped, the consultancy highlights the rise in prices, driven by supply constraints in key markets and the dosage effect on shipments to China. DATAGRO It is estimated that the current average is already close to US$7.00/kg, the highest level since October 2022, with the potential to renew the record of US$6.80/kg observed in June 2022 in the coming months. At the current estimated pricing and exchange rate levels, the export industry maintains positive profitability despite the high costs of originating finished cattle and the depreciation of the Real. This solidity rests fundamentally on the strategic management of shipments to China, where slowing volumes compensate for rising prices. While export growth cools, pricing advances consistently, reflecting exactly this containment effect. However, this mechanism runs a real risk of losing effectiveness in the medium term. The filling of the Chinese quota, expected at the beginning of the second half of the year, tends to reverse the price trajectory and put pressure on profitability. If the Australian quota also becomes saturated simultaneously, Brazil and Australia will offer high volumes to the residual market in parallel, which could reinforce the limitations to sustaining export prices. For more details, visit the VIP Report in analysis session of Portal DATAGRO.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.