AUSTRALIA’S 2026 beef exports are off to a rapid start, with January tonnage hitting an all-time high for the month, at 84,343 tonnes.

Normally January export trade is the quietest month of the year due to export processors’ summer holiday shut-downs, but international trade conditions and solid processing activity through both December and January has set the industry up for the new record.

Last month was up 3294t or 4pc on January last year, and more than 17,000t or 20pc higher than the five-year average for January export shipments.

Perhaps greatest industry interest was in the extent of trade into China last month, given the urgency that now applies following the imposition of a 205,000t quota on Australian exports to China at the start of the year, after which Australian exports incur a 55pc tariff.

Some felt this would deliver a massive surge in our trade into China as exporters and importers raced to secure supplies ahead of the tariff penalty, under a first-in, best-dressed regime.

However while volume to China last month of 16,636t was high, by January standards, it was not in record territory. The biggest January volume every seen was in 2020, during Australia’s drought cattle turnoff period, while China was facing its African Swine Fever episode which decimated pork supply. The combination of both saw volumes that month hit in-month records.

Last month’s exports to China were up 1728t or 11.6pc on the same period last year, which was in fact the third highest January on record.

Trade into the United States last month continued at rapid pace, as the US market continues to face a heavy domestic deficit in beef.

Shipments last month reached 23,747t, down 900t or 3.6pc from January last year, but still unusually high for this time of year.

Among other surprising results last month was South Korea, taking 13,100t for January – some 24pc higher than the same period in 2025. Two factors contributed to the substantial growth – the reduction in US exports to Korea due to present US production constraints, and the start of a new calendar year meaning a re-set on Korea’s Safeguard quota and tariff on Australian imports.

Japan was also active last month, by January standards, as importers start to build reserves ahead of the Golden Week holiday and gift-giving period. Exports to Japan reached 14,563t, compared with 15,806t this time last year – some 1243t lighter than a year ago.

Secondary and emerging export markets were mixed during January.

Indonesia took only 747t for the month, down 20pc on a year ago and less than 10pc of trade volumes seen a month earlier in December last year, when exports reached 7837t. Part of that decline is explained in this earlier story.

Exports to the United Kingdom last month reached only 912t – about double the volume seen in January 2025 (469t), but only 68pc of trade seen on December last year (1330t).

European Union markets accounted for only 550t in January, about the same as this time last year.

The seven customer countries in the Middle East region accounted for 2378t of Australian beef last month, virtually identical to last year.

Smaller importers like Canada took 1952t last month, up about 40pc on the previous January, with the Philippines 2158t, Thailand 1863t and Malaysia 480t much the same as in 2025.