Brazil wants US to lift their suspension of beef imports

Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said he will travel to the US to provide clarifications in an attempt to reverse the suspension of fresh beef imports from Brazil.

Yesterday (Jun 22), the US government announced the suspension after mentioning recurrent concerns regarding the security of foods reaching the American market.

According to Maggi, the necessary information will be sent to the US authorities, after which he is to travel to the country in a bid to reestablish the import of the Brazilian product.

“Since this is a temporary suspension, we'll be working next week to finish the plan we had been outlining at the ministry, and I intend to fly to the US with a team as quickly as possible, as soon as the Americans receive the information from Brazil, so that we can address the necessary issues and reestablish this key market Brazil found for itself over the last years,” Maggi said in an audio recording released on social media.

Investigation

In a statement, US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said the suspension of shipments is to remain in force until the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture takes the measures deemed adequate by the US Department of Agriculture. The suspension affects 13 Brazilian meatpacking plants that were allowed to export to the US.

Maggi went on to say that the Brazilian government was aware of the issues, adding that it suspended exports of fresh beef from five Brazilian meatpackers this Wednesday (21), after US American authorities detected irregularities arising from a reaction to components in the vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease. The minister explained that the reaction creates a lump on the spot where the animal is vaccinated, which, however, poses no risk to public health.

An inquiry will be opened, the minister said, to investigate the type of reagent being used in the vaccine and whether it is indeed leaving residues on the meat shipped to the US.

Quick solution

Maggi went on to say that the government seeks to solve the problem quickly, as Brazilian animal husbandry is facing a rather difficult moment, with low prices for producers. “We agree with the position adopted by the US. We'll address the issue. However, we have to work hard; it's an important market,” he said.

In July last year, after 17 years of talks, the Agriculture Ministry signed a deal with the US to export fresh beef to the US market. Up to then, Brazilians had only sold industrialized meat, due to strict sanitary requirements imposed by the North-American country.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira