Cattle Industry Grapples with China's Lockout of U.S. Beef

Lack of access to Chinese market a top concern at CattleCon in Nashville

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Cattle industry leaders and producers gathered in Nashville for the recent 2026 Cattle Industry Convention, where a major topic of discussion was the continued lockout of U.S. beef from the Chinese market. Erin Borror of the U.S. Meat Export Federation said there has been almost no progress on the issue, and access to China is vital for maintaining the value across the whole carcass, even with low cattle numbers. Jay Theiler, chair of the USMEF, said the U.S. government is fully engaged on the issue and understands its importance to producers.

Why it matters

China is a crucial export market for U.S. beef producers, and the continued lockout is having a significant impact on the industry. With low cattle numbers, maintaining access to high-value markets like China is essential for supporting producer profitability and the overall health of the U.S. beef supply chain.

The details

China continues to refuse to renew registrations for U.S. beef production and cold storage facilities, effectively locking out most U.S. beef production since March. Industry leaders are pressing the U.S. government to address this issue with Chinese counterparts.

  • The 2026 Cattle Industry Convention took place recently in Nashville.
  • China has refused to renew U.S. beef facility registrations since March.

The players

Erin Borror

Vice president of economic analysis for the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Jay Theiler

Chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

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What they’re saying

“There has been almost no progress on the issue. Even with low cattle numbers, access to China is vital for maintaining the value across the whole carcass.”

— Erin Borror, Vice president of economic analysis, U.S. Meat Export Federation (NAFB News Service)

“The government is fully engaged on the issue and understands the importance to U.S. producers.”

— Jay Theiler, Chair, U.S. Meat Export Federation (NAFB News Service)

The takeaway

The continued lockout of U.S. beef from the Chinese market is a major challenge for the cattle industry, underscoring the importance of maintaining access to high-value export markets, even in the face of low domestic cattle numbers. Industry leaders are pressing the U.S. government to address this issue with their Chinese counterparts.