Carlos Fávaro, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, revealed that China has requested Brazil to provide a more concise list of slaughterhouses eligible for meat exports.
Originally, Brazil had proposed 62 slaughterhouses for accreditation, followed by another list of 15 additional plants.
Responding to this, the Asian powerhouse preferred a shorter list to simplify the authorization procedure.
Fávaro stated, during a meeting of the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Coordination and Cooperation Commission (Cosban) on Thursday (24), “We’ll collaborate with industry representative bodies to refine the list, aiming to accredit new plants this year.”
China remains Brazil’s leading trade ally, particularly as the primary market for Brazilian animal proteins, including beef, pork, and poultry.
Streamlining Process
Fávaro proposed adopting a “pre-listing” mechanism to expedite export approvals to China.
This approach speeds up the export authorization process by bypassing certain bureaucratic stages required by Chinese customs, potentially enhancing export flow.
“Items ready here are added to the system and become instantly accredited,” Fávaro said.
“Given that the US already enjoys this acknowledgment, and considering our significant agricultural trade relationship with China, the acceptance of Brazilian pre-listing would heighten our market competitiveness.”
Additional Discussions
Fávaro also highlighted Brazilian cotton certification. “Our Ministry of Agriculture has verified cotton quality, and this week we awarded the first quality certificate to Chinatex, the largest buyer of Brazilian cotton.”
China sources 30% of its cotton consumption from Brazil.
Furthermore, the Ministry suggested a health-focused meeting with Chinese experts.
Topics would include recognizing regional segmentation for avian flu in poultry exports, accrediting new meat plants, updating beef export protocols due to BSE concerns, and acknowledging Brazil’s status free from foot-and-mouth and classical swine fever diseases.
For upcoming Cosban meetings, Fávaro seeks to open Chinese markets to Brazilian pecan nuts and strengthen mutual understanding on pesticides, fostering transparency and trust regarding Chinese-origin products.
“We are making headway in discussions for grain liberation, like sorghum, sesame, and fresh grapes,” Fávaro added.