The rise in commodity exports to China is a worldwide phenomenon affecting most countries in the Global South. We examine the rapid surge of Uruguayan beef exports to China in the 2010s and its impact on the domestic economy. By integrating customs data, administrative tax records of domestic transactions, matched employer-employee data, and firm balance sheets, we analyze how increased beef exports affect domestic firms through the production network. We find that suppliers to beef exporters experience significant sales growth, with the largest effects in the service sector, leading to increased employment, wages, and sales per worker. These impacts extend beyond direct suppliers, amplifying economic activity in the services further up the value chain. Using a network-based accounting framework, we estimate that beef exports to China increased Uruguayan aggregate sales by 1.79%, with one-third of the effect being accounted for by indirect linkages. We also show that over time, the service sector became more tightly integrated with beef exporters, enhancing its ability to benefit from rising trade with China.