Brazil and EU negotiate to lift impending meat export veto

The European Union is set to enforce a veto on Brazilian meat exports from September 3 unless Brazil provides guarantees that its production meets EU rules on the use of certain antimicrobials. The block cited insufficient documentation on antimicrobial controls, a long‑standing EU regulation meant to protect public health.

Brazil’s government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is pursuing a more political dialogue with the EU. After a meeting between Lula and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the G‑7 summit in France, Brazil announced a new bilateral dialogue mechanism involving technical teams in Brussels and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. The aim is to resolve the dispute and restore access for beef, poultry, horse meat, fish, honey and offal to the European market.

Brazilian officials stress that the issue is technical but also has a political dimension, especially as the EU has concurrently introduced restrictions on steel and soy‑oil imports. They argue that Brazil remains a major supplier to the EU, second only to the United States, and that prompt compliance could preserve the trade relationship under the recently active Mercosur‑EU free‑trade agreement.