China will impose safeguard measures on beef imports from certain countries when volumes exceed set quotas, effective from Thursday through Dec 31, 2028, the Ministry of Commerce said in an online notice on Wednesday.

The notice said the safeguard measures will be gradually relaxed at fixed intervals over the implementation period. China will apply a 55 percent tariff on beef imports above the established quota levels.

The Ministry of Commerce announced a safeguard investigation into beef imports in December 2024, following a petition by the China Animal Agriculture Association and nine provincial animal agriculture associations.

In another statement released on Wednesday, a ministry spokesperson said the investigation was conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, with views from all interested parties extensively solicited.

The commerce official said that the ministry carried out a comprehensive and prudent assessment of the relevant evidence, leading to an objective and impartial conclusion.