China extends safeguard investigation into imported beef for 3 months

China's Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday announced that the investigation period for the safeguard measures on imported beef will be extended by three months, until Nov 26, 2025.

The investigation was launched on Dec 27, 2024 in response to an application submitted by the China Animal Agriculture Association and nine industry associations from major beef-producing regions on behalf of the domestic beef industry.

The application claims that the import volume of the products under investigation saw a sharp increase in the last five years, growing 106.28 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019.

A spokesperson for the ministry stated on Wednesday that after the safeguard measures case was initiated, the ministry has been conducting the investigation in accordance with legal procedures. The investigation involves collecting evidence through questionnaires, hearings, and on-site inspections, and broadly gathering opinions from all relevant stakeholders to ensure the process is objective and fair.

Due to the large volume of work and the complexity of the case, the investigating authority decided, based on Chinese law and World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations, to extend the investigation period by three months. The investigation will continue to be carried out lawfully, and an objective and fair ruling will be made based on the investigation results.

China extends safeguard investigation into imported beef for 3 months

China extends safeguard investigation into imported beef for 3 months

China extends safeguard investigation into imported beef for 3 months

China extends safeguard investigation into imported beef for 3 months

More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.

The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.

In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.

"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.

To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.

In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.

"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.

In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.

"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.

Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners