Brazil negotiates with EU to overturn meat import veto

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stepped up talks with the European Union to try to reverse a pending ban on Brazilian meat imports that is set to take effect in September. The ban, based on EU concerns over the use of antimicrobials in Brazilian livestock, would affect beef and poultry shipments worth more than US$1 billion annually.

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in Paris, on the sidelines of an OECD gathering, and urged more fluid communication as the EU‑Mercosur agreement is implemented. Brazil argues that there is no sanitary problem and that the sector already follows strict controls. The Brazilian Beef Association’s president Ricardo Santin said Europe wants “official guarantees” and that Brazil will add an extra layer of inspection, including on‑site visits to farms, to satisfy EU demands. The government views the EU decision as bureaucratic and unjustified and aims to keep negotiations open until the September deadline.