A general bio-economic model for beef cattle production was used to define breeding objectives for Charolais cattle to be utilized in a variety of linked production systems. Economic weights were calculated for 16 traits in three production systems and two marketing strategies. Results suggest that the direct component of calving performance and cow longevity were of primary economic importance in all systems. Conception rate of cows and weaning weight reached about 50% of the standardized economic weight of calving performance in pure-bred systems with sale of weaned calves.