China's beef imports, particularly from Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, are falling short of expectations due to a combination of factors including drought, lower quality cattle, and government export restrictions. The USDA's prediction of growth in China's beef imports in 2023 is not being met, with Mercosur countries exporting less to China than anticipated. This has led to an oversupply of low quality lean cow meat, causing a significant price drop of 40% in the past month. The government's maintenance of restrictions on exports of cuts from better conditioned cows shows no sign of change.