Brazilian chicken exports to the European Union are likely to remain suspended until at least November as the bloc demands an on-site audit before restoring the country’s eligibility, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The disruption could cost Brazilian poultry processors roughly one quarter of shipments to the EU. Beef exports may face a longer suspension because cattle production cycles make compliance with the bloc’s antimicrobial rules harder to demonstrate.
Officials in Brasília no longer expect a last-minute solution before new EU restrictions on Brazilian animal products take effect on Sept. 3, the people said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential.
European Commission officials told Brazilian Ambassador to the EU Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva this week that Brazil would need to pass an audit of its control system before exports could resume.
The audit is expected to take place during the week of August 24. Preliminary findings are scheduled for September 14, followed by a seven-day period for the Brazilian government to respond. A final report is not expected before late September, according to the people.
Even if the report is favorable, Brazil’s return may require approval from the EU’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, or SCoPAFF. The relevant committee meeting is scheduled for November 19.
Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry criticized Brussels in a statement on Thursday, arguing that the EU was demanding proof that measures had been fully implemented before the end of the animals’ production cycles.
The ministry said Brazil had submitted detailed documentation covering official inspections, traceability, monitoring and certification for poultry, beef, eggs, honey and fisheries products. It said negotiations remained underway and that European authorities had yet to issue a definitive assessment of the material.
Brazil maintains that its inspection system can prevent noncompliant products from being certified, even as antimicrobial restrictions are phased in across different production cycles.
Tougher Path for Beef
EU officials have indicated that the audit will initially focus only on poultry, according to the people. Chicken production cycles are short enough for inspectors to assess whether Brazil’s antimicrobial-control protocol has been implemented.
The outlook for beef is less certain because cattle take much longer to reach slaughter weight. European officials have so far shown little willingness to offer flexibility, fueling complaints in Brazil that the restrictions amount to a non-tariff barrier against the country’s more competitive farm exports.
“Poultry is an issue that can be resolved within a few months, but it is difficult to predict what will happen with beef,” one person with knowledge of the talks said. “It will depend on whether the approach is technical or political.”
A politically driven dispute could require greater involvement from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and a tougher stance toward European officials, the person said.
Brazilian exporters and cattle ranchers have also disagreed over how the country should comply. Meatpackers proposed a complete ban on the antimicrobials covered by the EU rules, while cattle producers favor segregating animals destined for Europe and allowing continued use in livestock raised for other markets.
The EU has been preparing to enforce the antimicrobial restrictions since 2019, but Brazil moved slowly to adapt its controls. Documents initially submitted after the September cutoff was announced in May were viewed by European officials as confusing, according to the people. Some contained contradictory information or sections written in different languages.
The dispute comes as the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, provisionally in force since May 1, raises expectations for deeper commercial ties between the two blocs.
This story was translated from the original Portuguese with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by The AgriBiz editorial staff.
