Brazil will export beef to Russia amid Chinese embargo

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Amid the suspension of Brazilian meat exports to China, the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Tereza Cristina, announced that the Russian government will open a quota of 300,000 tons of meat with zero import tariffs for six months, a market that can be used by Brazil.

It will be 200,000 tons of beef and 100,000 tons of pork. The import tariff today, up to 530,000 tons, is 15%.

Tereza Cristina met in Moscow with the head of the Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia, Sergey Dankvert, who guaranteed an inspection visit to Brazil in the first quarter of 2022 which will enable the qualification of new Brazilian meatpacking plants for export.

The export of meat to China has been suspended since September. The reason was the identification of two atypical cases of EBB (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) – known as “mad cow disease”.

The embargo has already had repercussions in Brazil. In October, the country registered a 43% drop in beef exports compared to the same period in 2020, according to a survey conducted by Abrafrigo (Brazilian Association of Meatpacking Companies).

Wednesday (18), Minister Tereza Cristina also announced increased fertilizer imports from Russia. Russian businessmen and authorities assured that they will fulfill the current contracts to supply potassium and phosphate fertilizers and will be able to increase exports by 10% as of 2022. The country now accounts for 20% of Brazil’s importations of fertilizer.

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