BEIJING (Reuters) - China's customs said on Friday that imports of eight categories of Australian beef had reached the safeguard amount and it would resume levying most-favoured nation tariffs on the goods from August 17.
Under the 2015 free trade agreement between China and Australia, imports of chilled and frozen beef cuts currently carry a 6% tariff, while carcasses are charged at between 10% and 12.5%, lower than the most-favoured nation rates.
But imports of Australian beef have surged this year and already hit the 172,411 tonnes permitted at lower tariffs, said the notice posted online by the General Administration of Customs.
(Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Keith Weir)
