China’s ‘Great American’ Burger Now Features Australian Beef

TL;DR:

• Trade war impacts Chinese menus: Beijing restaurants are replacing American ingredients (like beef and chicken feet) with imports from other countries due to increased U.S. tariffs.
• The "Great American" burger now uses Australian beef: Home Plate, a popular Beijing restaurant, switched to Australian beef for its signature burger due to a 50% price surge in U.S. beef.
• China-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Australian beef is tariff-free, making it a more affordable and viable option for Chinese businesses.

At Home Plate, a popular Beijing restaurant known for its American-style barbecue, the signature “The Great American” burger no longer lives up to its name in one key ingredient.

Due to escalating trade tensions and tariffs, the restaurant has swapped U.S. beef for Australian beef, reflecting a broader shift in China’s food supply chains as American agricultural products vanish from menus and store shelves.

The change stems from a breakdown in a 90-day tariff pause agreed upon by the U.S. and China in Geneva in May 2025.

On Monday, China’s Commerce Ministry accused the U.S. of violating the agreement through new export controls on artificial intelligence chips, prompting retaliatory measures that have driven up the cost of American goods.

According to Liu Li, a beef supplier at Beijing’s Sanyuanli market for three decades, U.S. beef prices have surged by 50% since the tariff disputes intensified, making it too costly for many businesses.

“U.S. beef is fattier and tastier,” Li told NBC News. “It’s a shame we’re in a trade war. The high price is just too much to bear.”

Home Plate, a staple for expatriates and locals craving American comfort food, stopped using U.S. Department of Agriculture-grade beef last month.

Instead, it now sources beef from Australia, which enjoys zero-duty status under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

While China retains the right to impose safeguard limits on Australian imports, the tariff-free status has made Australian beef a more viable option for restaurants navigating the economic fallout of the trade dispute.

Staff at Home Plate confirmed the switch, noting that the “Great American” burger, once a showcase of U.S. beef, now relies on Australian imports to maintain affordability.

The shift extends beyond beef. At Kunyuan restaurant in Beijing, owner Geng Xiaoyun has removed a beloved dish of salt-baked chicken feet, known locally as “phoenix talons,” from the menu. The dish, previously made with American chicken feet, became 30% more expensive since March due to tariffs.

“American chicken feet are so beautiful,” Geng told CNBC. “They’re spongy so they taste great. Chinese feet just aren’t as good.”

He now sources chicken feet from Brazil and Russia but keeps a small stash of American ones for himself, hoping prices will stabilize if global trade tensions ease.

The broader context of this culinary pivot is a trade war reignited by mutual accusations of bad faith. The Chinese Commerce Ministry’s statement on Monday came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that China “totally violated” the Geneva pact.

The U.S. has pointed to China’s restrictions on American agricultural exports, while China has cited U.S. tech export controls as a breach. This tit-for-tat has disrupted supply chains, with American agricultural products losing ground to competitors like Australia, Brazil, and Russia.

The impact is not limited to high-end restaurants. Across China, supermarkets and smaller eateries are turning to alternative suppliers. Australian beef, in particular, has gained a foothold due to its competitive pricing and quality.

According to the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2015, Australian beef imports face no tariffs, giving them a significant edge over U.S. beef, which now faces steep duties.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that U.S. beef exports to China dropped by 15% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year, while Australian beef exports to China rose by 22% in the same period.

The shift has sparked mixed reactions among Chinese consumers after a Chinese influencer on TikTok shared this video and it vent viral on X.

@allblogthings #stitch with @emily.socialsss ♬ original sound All Blog Things

On X, some users expressed amusement at the irony of a “Great American” burger made with Australian beef, with one user, @FlyoutChase, posting, “LMAO: In China, ‘The Great American’ burger is now made with Australian beef.” Others, like @Dr_Martin123, questioned whether diners care about the beef’s origin or if it’s merely “marketing hype.”

For Beijing’s restaurant owners, the decision is less about branding and more about survival. Geng Xiaoyun remains optimistic, telling CNBC:

“The price of American chicken feet will come back down as long as there are no big changes in the world’s political situation.”

Yet, with trade talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly imminent, as noted by a White House official, the future of U.S. agricultural exports to China remains uncertain.

As China’s diners bite into burgers and other dishes made with foreign ingredients, the trade war’s ripple effects are reshaping not just menus but also the global flow of goods.

For now, Australian beef is filling the gap, but the hope among suppliers and restaurateurs is for a resolution that restores access to affordable American products.

Until then, the “Great American” burger will carry a distinctly Australian flavor.