EU suspension of Brazilian meat begins this Thursday

The European Union will suspend this Thursday (September 3, 2026) imports of Brazilian products of animal origin affected by the bloc’s new rules on the use of antimicrobials. The restriction covers beef and chicken meat, eggs, honey and tripe intended for human consumption.

The decision had been announced in May, when Brazil was removed from the list of countries considered in compliance with European regulations. According to the European Commission, the country did not provide sufficient guarantees that animals destined for the European market do not receive antimicrobials to stimulate growth or medicines reserved for the treatment of human beings. In the case of cattle, Brussels requires controls throughout the animal’s entire life cycle.

The measure is not related to the identification of irregularities in batches of Brazilian meat. The impasse lies in the mechanisms adopted by Brazil to prove compliance with European rules. The government developed a certification protocol for cattle free from the use of antimicrobial drugs and held negotiations with the bloc, but was unable to prevent the suspension from beginning.

The CNA (Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil) states that the measure will cause immediate losses to the sector and asked the government to take action. In a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, the entity’s president, João Martins, requested that Itamaraty evaluate activating the Concession Rebalancing Mechanism provided for in the Mercosur–European Union agreement.

The confederation maintains that the blockade harms commercial benefits expected by Brazil and states that the country could seek equivalent compensation or, as a last resort, proportionally suspend tariff concessions given to Europeans. He also asked the Senate for a public hearing with representatives from Itamaraty, the Ministry of Agriculture and the MDIC (Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services).

European market is strategic for Brazil

Although the European Union purchases only 3.7% of the volume of beef exported by Brazil, the market is considered strategic. The bloc accounts for 5.8% of the product’s foreign sales revenue and pays around US$10 per kg, compared to US$6.50 paid, on average, by China. Furthermore, European requirements make the market a reference for producers seeking to access other countries with high standards.

In 2025, the affected sectors exported US$2.026 billion to the European Union, US$1.064 billion in beef and US$781.4 million in poultry meat. The TCU (Federal Audit Court) concluded this Wednesday (September 2) that there was no relevant failure on the part of the Brazilian government in its attempts to avoid the suspension.

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