The escalating US-China trade war has led to changes in the foodservice sector, with Beijing’s American-style restaurants such as Home Plate BBQ removing US beef from their menus due to tariffs, reported Reuters.
Home Plate BBQ is now transitioning to Australian suppliers, having previously sourced all its beef from the US. Known for its brisket, the restaurant consumes approximately seven to eight tonnes of the meat each month.
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With the depletion of their US beef stocks expected in a few weeks, Australian beef will become the new staple.
The impact of the trade war is evident across the foodservice industry in Beijing. The city’s 125% retaliatory tariffs on top of the existing 22% have rendered American beef unaffordable.
Home Plate’s operations director Charles de Pellette said: “It’s essentially just made it very hard for us to continue using US beef.
“Once we deplete our stocks, we’ll be switching fully over to Australian M5 … We still think that it’s the same taste and quality and flavour, but we’ve had to switch just due to market pressures and the tariffs.”
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By GlobalDataEven the pork ribs at Home Plate BBQ are changing origin, with Canadian suppliers stepping in to fill the void.
The restaurant’s experience is not isolated, as other Beijing restaurants are also making the switch to Australian beef, according to a local beef supplier who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of tariff discussions.
“They have to switch to Australian beef – even the American steak restaurants,” the supplier said.
The tariffs have further inflated prices, with US brisket costs nearly doubling from the previous year.
In contrast, Australian beef offers a more economical option, being 40% cheaper.
Starting next month, patrons will enjoy Australian beef ribs, brisket, and sausages, prepared in the traditional Texan and Southern American style.
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