Adds background and comment from US industry group

By Tom Polansek and Daphne Zhang

May 15 (Reuters) - China renewed more than 400 export licenses that had expired for U.S. beef plants, the Chinese customs website showed on Friday, after Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping concluded a hotly anticipated summit in Beijing.

More than 400 U.S. beef plants lost export eligibility over the past year as Beijing's permissions, granted between March 2020 and April 2021, lapsed without the customary renewal, accounting for roughly 65% of the once-registered facilities.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the long-awaited licenses had been approved as U.S. and Chinese leaders met at the summit. However, Chinese customs appeared to halt the export clearances hours later.

The renewal of licenses would be a win for American beef producers, though U.S. exports have declined due to tight supplies and high prices. The White House said in recent weeks that licenses would be discussed at the summit.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation said its understanding was that expired registrations for U.S. beef plants were showing as renewed in China's system and that some additional U.S. plants were showing as registered. The industry group said it was seeking more details.

"This is a critical first step toward fully restoring access for U.S. beef in China," federation spokesman Joe Schuele said.