Brazil‑China Deal Opens Market for High‑Value Bovine Gallstones
Brazil and China have signed a sanitary protocol that permits the export of bovine gallstones, a rare by‑product of cattle bile used in traditional Chinese medicine. Brazil, which provides roughly 40 % of the world’s supply, can now ship the product directly to its main consumer, China. The gallstones, found in only 1‑2 % of cattle, are valued at about R$1.23 million per kilogram in 2024 – roughly 85 % higher than the price of gold on the same day – and have driven export revenues from R$398 million in 2019 to R$1.37 billion in 2024. Production is estimated at about 2 tonnes annually in Brazil, contributing to a global output of around 5 tonnes. Obtaining one kilogram requires processing roughly 200 000 cattle. The product lacks an international price benchmark, and other major producers include Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and the United States.
Entities: Bovine gallstones · Federative Republic of Brazil · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Brazil) · People's Republic of China · Traditional Chinese Medicine market
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Gold price on the same day was about R$664 000 per kilogram. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The gallstone price was roughly 85 % higher than gold on that day. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Brazil and China signed a sanitary protocol that allows export of bovine gallstones. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] In 2024, the price of Brazilian bovine gallstones in the Chinese market reached roughly R$1.23 million per kilogram. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Brazil accounts for roughly 40 % of global bovine gallstone production. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Export revenue from Brazilian bovine gallstones grew from R$398 million in 2019 to R$1.37 billion in 2024. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Brazil’s annual bovine gallstone output is estimated at about 2 tonnes, contributing to a global total of roughly 5 tonnes. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)
- [● 4 SOURCES] About 200 000 cattle must be processed to obtain one kilogram of bovine gallstones. (c12e5d0e-ddaf-406e-878c-39a05c9a74d1, 50eda886-16e8-4536-a046-c85210d52a5b, 79925c37-1579-4046-856f-337a84383ce1, 4bd2da)