Brazil Meat Left Out of EU Suppliers List in Risk to Trade
(Bloomberg) — Leia in Portugal.
Brazil is not on the list of countries authorized to supply animal products to the European Union, posing a trade risk for the world’s largest exporter of beef and chicken.
The European Union on Tuesday published an updated list of countries that comply with its rules against the overuse of antimicrobials in food-producing animals. It did not include Brazil.
The list is currently for informational purposes only and has no legal effect. The European Commission nevertheless stated on its website that the law will be “officially adopted” in the coming days, adding that the rules regarding imports will be valid as of September 3.
Brazil will no longer be allowed to export unless it complies with the rules, spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova said.
“We are in close contact with the Brazilian authorities regarding this issue and will continue to work to ensure that they comply with these requirements,” Hrncirova said. The spokesperson added that the markets affected include live animals and products from cattle, horses, poultry, eggs, aquaculture, honey and casings.
The Brazilian Animal Protein Association, which brings together poultry and pork exporters, said in a note on Tuesday that the country “fully complies” with EU rules and is trying to comply with the country’s health authorities. ABPA added that exports have not yet been suspended. Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The bloc’s rules ban the use of antimicrobials in livestock for growth or efficiency purposes, according to the European Commission. Animals are also not allowed to be treated with antimicrobials for human infections.
The EU and Brazil are important trading partners. Still, beef shipments to the bloc account for just 4% of Brazil’s beef exports in the first quarter of 2026, according to Agriculture Ministry data. For chicken, this rate corresponds to 8 percent.
–With help from Daniel Carvalho, Agnieszka de Sousa and Suzanne Lynch.
(Comments from the European spokesperson and the Brazilian industry group ABPA have been added from the fourth paragraph.)
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