Brazil pushes to keep meat exports to EU amid new antimicrobial rules

The European Union announced new rules on the use of antimicrobials in animal production and, effective 3 September, removed Brazil from the list of countries authorized to export meat to the EU. The Brazilian government has intensified negotiations to prevent a loss of market access, with Agriculture Minister André de Paula stressing the priority of protecting short‑cycle sectors such as poultry and describing the EU decision as “unacceptable.”

In parallel, the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee (CRE) held a working‑group meeting to coordinate government and industry responses. Senators, ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, the Brazilian Mission to the EU, the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) and private producers discussed traceability, scientific criteria and strategies to meet the EU’s certification requirements.

At the International Animal Protein Fair (SIAVS) in São Paulo, ABPA president Ricardo Santin highlighted the sector’s role in global food security, noting more than 10 million jobs and over US$ 33 billion in annual exports. He called for continued investment in logistics, tax reform and sanitary inspection to sustain competitiveness while the government seeks new markets such as South Korea.