Jan. 31, 2008 Deadline Set for Changes in Brazilian Beef Exports to EU

EU/Brazil   

Jan. 31, 2008 Deadline Set for Changes in Brazilian Beef Exports to EU

The European Commission today agreed to impose stricter requirements for Brazilian beef imports to the EU effective Jan. 31, 2008. Today’s decision follows inspections by the EU’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), which identified a number of serious and repeated deficiencies in Brazil’s animal health and traceability systems.

As of Jan. 31, beef will only be allowed to be imported from an approved and restricted list of holdings in Brazil which are fully in line with EU import requirements and which meet strict criteria. The animals on those approved holdings must have been kept in one of the EU approved territories for at least 90 days and must remain on the listed holding for at least 40 days prior to slaughter.

The FVO will conduct inspections in order to verify that all EU import requirements will be met. All approved exporters will be listed in the EU Trade Control Expert System (TRACES). The list of approved exporters will be established “on the basis of information to be communicated by the competent authorities in Brazil.”

Consignments of de-boned and matured beef, which were certified and dispatched prior to this decision, will be accepted by the EU until March 15, 2008.

U.S. beef does not compete directly with Brazilian beef due to the superior quality and higher price of U.S. beef. However, USMEF-Europe reports that if Brazilian exports to the EU are dramatically reduced, that would create a shortage of hindquarter cuts destined for the EU HRI sector that would increase the demand for U.S. beef.

The EU-25 imported 255,936 mt of beef from Brazil in 2006, 66 percent of its total beef imports. Through August 2007, imports from Brazil totaled 198,849 mt, an increase of 16 percent over the same period in 2006. About 36 percent of beef imported from Brazil is frozen, another 36 percent is prepared/preserved, and 27 percent is chilled.

EU/Brazil   

Jan. 31, 2008 Deadline Set for Changes in Brazilian Beef Exports to EU

The European Commission today agreed to impose stricter requirements for Brazilian beef imports to the EU effective Jan. 31, 2008. Today’s decision follows inspections by the EU’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), which identified a number of serious and repeated deficiencies in Brazil’s animal health and traceability systems.

As of Jan. 31, beef will only be allowed to be imported from an approved and restricted list of holdings in Brazil which are fully in line with EU import requirements and which meet strict criteria. The animals on those approved holdings must have been kept in one of the EU approved territories for at least 90 days and must remain on the listed holding for at least 40 days prior to slaughter.

The FVO will conduct inspections in order to verify that all EU import requirements will be met. All approved exporters will be listed in the EU Trade Control Expert System (TRACES). The list of approved exporters will be established “on the basis of information to be communicated by the competent authorities in Brazil.”

Consignments of de-boned and matured beef, which were certified and dispatched prior to this decision, will be accepted by the EU until March 15, 2008.

U.S. beef does not compete directly with Brazilian beef due to the superior quality and higher price of U.S. beef. However, USMEF-Europe reports that if Brazilian exports to the EU are dramatically reduced, that would create a shortage of hindquarter cuts destined for the EU HRI sector that would increase the demand for U.S. beef.

The EU-25 imported 255,936 mt of beef from Brazil in 2006, 66 percent of its total beef imports. Through August 2007, imports from Brazil totaled 198,849 mt, an increase of 16 percent over the same period in 2006. About 36 percent of beef imported from Brazil is frozen, another 36 percent is prepared/preserved, and 27 percent is chilled.