Brazilian cows will not enter the EU market
The decision to remove Brazil from the list of countries complying with EU food safety standards comes after the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement between the EU and Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay temporarily entered into force on May 1.
The deal, which liberalizes agricultural trade on both sides of the Atlantic, remains fiercely opposed by European farmers who fear that different production standards on either side of the Atlantic will create unfair competition from Latin American imports.
“The fact that the Union is able to enforce the rules is essential for trust, a level playing field and good relations with our trading partners, ” an EU diplomat told Euronews .
An official familiar with the case said the vote was unanimous and Brazil became the first country to be removed from the list of states complying with EU restrictions on animal antimicrobials.
The list of third countries that are compliant and therefore can export food-producing animals to the EU will be officially approved in the coming days.
The European Commission has consistently stated that EU food safety rules will continue to apply to agricultural products imported from Latin America once the agreement enters into force.
Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova confirmed to Euronews that as of September 3, Brazil will no longer be able to export products such as cattle, horses, poultry, eggs, aquaculture, honey and hulls to the EU.
“Trade agreements don’t change our rules, ” Hrncirova said. – The European Commission sets binding sanitary and phytosanitary standards for the Union, and both our farmers and exporters from third countries must comply with them.”
Brussels also agreed safeguard measures to protect EU farmers, including mechanisms to monitor potential market disruptions resulting from a surge in imports from Mercosur countries. Quotas were also introduced for sensitive products, including poultry and meat.
The EU will be able to resume imports once Brazil demonstrates compliance with safety rules, at which point it will be able to enjoy the same tariff benefits as other Mercosur countries.
How does Brazil feel about this?
Brazil risks missing more than $1.8 billion because of the new EU restrictions on meat imports. This is according to Brasil 247.
The European Union is the second place among the buyers of Brazilian beef, second only to China. Only for 2025, EU countries bought more than 368 thousand tons of these products, mainly beef.
As the portal notes, the EU imposed restrictions due to the fact that Brazilian meat does not meet local sanitary standards. The main claim is the use of antimicrobial drugs throughout the life of animals. In response, the Brazilian government said that it would “immediately take all necessary measures to cancel this decision of the European Union and return to the list of countries authorized to export“.
