Brazil's Lula pushes EU to lift meat and steel bans

On 16 June in Évian, France, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa during the G7 summit.

The leaders discussed reversing recent EU restrictions on Brazilian exports, including beef, other animal products and steel, which are slated to take effect on 3 September. The EU said the bans stem from concerns over sanitary standards and the use of antimicrobial drugs in animal production.

Lula announced a bilateral working group between Brazil’s foreign ministry (Itamaraty) and the European Commission to identify obstacles and supply the technical documentation the EU requires. He said the governments "are committed to seek solutions that address European sanitary and steel‑industry concerns while protecting Brazil’s export interests." The outcome is crucial for Brazil’s agribusiness sector, a major source of global protein and a key contributor to the country’s trade surplus.