Beef exporters find their niche in China

The country may be starting to beef up. By the end of September, US beef exports to China reached about a thousand metric tons for a total of $12.5 million since the export ban was lifted in May, according to the US Meat Export Federation.

The country potentially represents a $2.6 billion market for US beef products, so US exports have a lot of room for growth.

Industry experts, however, attribute the slow growth to two major factors: short supply and hefty prices.