China Reopens Bull Semen Market With Strict Top-10% Quality Rule as Australian, Canadian Suppliers Resume Shipments

China has resumed bull semen imports after a near halt that blocked shipments from the US, Europe, Canada and Australia, but is restricting purchases to semen from only the top 10% of bulls in each exporting country. The first Australian batch arrived in April, and Australian and Canadian suppliers are ramping up shipments, with US and UK approvals possibly coming soon, industry sources said. China received 92,573 straws worth about $700,000 from Australia and Canada combined through the end of August, customs data show — far below the roughly 10 million straws imported annually before the curbs. Each shipment faces a review lasting more than four months, and some have been only partially approved for failing the standard. Beijing is seeking to upgrade low-productivity herds; Chinese beef carcasses average about 150 kilograms versus nearly 400 kg in the US, according to the USDA. China's beef and dairy imports have grown to $25 billion-$30 billion a year.